Getting ready for The Hare with Amber Eyes this Sunday
... and two special announcements about May
Dear walking book clubbers,
I’m looking forward to seeing you this Sunday for a sunny walk discussing the Edmund de Waal’s phenomenal book, The Hare with Amber Eyes.
Many of us have already read and loved this book, but for those of you who haven’t, you have a treat in store: Edmund de Waal is a celebrated potter and a beautiful writer. (It seems a little unfair that he is so absurdly skilled at both!) Key to this book is the idea that every object holds a story - or, indeed, many stories. Here, De Waal tells the extraordinary tale of his inherited collection of 264 netsuke (intricately carved, small Japanese objects), therby tracing his family’s past and providing a fascinating microcosm of twentieth-century history. For a neat introduction to the book, you could listen to the first 10 minutes of THIS GUARDIAN BOOKS PODCAST.
I’m not going to summarise too much here, as so much of the beauty of the book is in the detail, and in feeling like we are on the quest with de Waal - peering over his shoulder in the archives, guiltily shirking the day job to pursue this private passion. Suffice to say, we move from the Paris of Proust, Manet and the Dreyfus Affair, to the Vienna of coffee shops, Zweig, Roth and the climactic horror of both World Wars, and end with post-war Japan. Is it a history book, a family memoir, or beautiful time-travelling travel writing? How about a quest book? Or a thing book? It really does seem to go beyond the limits of a single genre.
Please scroll down for a jam-packed newsletter, with more about The Hare with Amber Eyes, details of our April walk, and news of our special May events.
Book your space for The Hare with Amber Eyes this March
Please book your spot on our Edmund de Waal walk this Sunday and/or Zoom this Monday via the blue buttons which take you through to Eventbrite. Looking forward to seeing you!
Hampstead Heath Walk
Sunday 27th March 11.30-1pm, setting off from Daunt Books Hampstead, 51 South End Road, NW3 2QB:
Zoom Discussion
Monday 28th March 8-8.30pm:
Here are the Zoom details in case you need to join directly:
Zoom link HERE; Meeting ID: 733 3433 9971; Passcode: DeWaal
Buy The Hare with Amber Eyes from Daunt Books here and receive 10% off using the code WBC at checkout, or just tell them you’re in the group if you’re buying it in the shop.
*** This newsletter will always be free for those who need it to be, but if you are able to help keep the show on the road / on the Heath, and support Emily’s Walking Book Club by paying a small annual subscription of £20/year, then please do. Alternatively, you can pay £50/year to include a bespoke literary consultation with me. Feel free to drop me a line for more info. ***
More on The Hare with Amber Eyes
When published in 2010, The Hare with Amber Eyes received rapturous reviews everywhere. You can read them all on EDMUND DE WAAL’S WEBSITE, and I thought I’d pull out THIS ONE IN THE IRISH TIMES by their Literary Correspondent, Eileen Battersby, who was one of my favourite critics. She invariably made astute points about great books, often selected with an eye to the niche: small presses, translated works. The book world was devastated when she died in a car crash in 2018.
HERE ARE PHOTOS OF A FEW OF THE NETSUKE on the Guardian, with captions by Edmund de Waal. You can also get a closer look at them, with Edmund de Waal, in this short video below. I love the way he talks about the emotions, tensions and secrets of each netsuke, and how vital the actual touching of them is to gain an understanding:
Edmund de Waal has such a calm voice; I’ve really enjoyed listening to many of the numerous podcasts on which he’s featured. I especially enjoyed HIS EPISODE OF DESERT ISLAND DISCS, especially the way he describes writing and making pots as being so entwined.
He also argues for the connection between making and writing in THIS CONVERSATION with Tracy Chevalier on BBC’s Only Artists. It is lovely to hear him enthusing about someone else’s work, alongside discussing his own.
Our April meetings
Tickets for our April events discussing the very powerful novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe are now on sale.
First published in 1958, Achebe's debut is widely considered to be a landmark of African literature. This is the story of Okonkwo, who has risen from poverty to become a famed, respected leader and wrestling champion in an Igbo part of Nigeria. Okonkwo ruthlessly sticks to tradition and refuses to adapt to the new order imposed by the British colonialists and missionaries. So, inevitably, we witness his tragic fall. This hard-hitting novel is a powerful depiction of the demise both of an individual and a way of life.
On the Heath: Sunday 24th April, 11.30-1pm, setting off from Daunt Books Hampstead, 51 South End Road, NW3 2QB:
On Zoom: Monday 25th April 8-8.30pm:
Buy Things Fall Apart from Daunt Books here and receive 10% off using the code WBC at checkout, or just tell them you’re in the group if you’re buying it in the shop.
May and Beyond
At last, I’ve succeeded in reaching the bottom of my book tower of possibilities (as seen on Instagram) and have chosen our books for May, June and July. I’m really excited to read and discuss these three compelling books with you. Look out for details about the June and July books and dates in our next newsletter, but for now, let me tell you a bit about May, which is to be an extra special walk, or two.
Emily’s Walking Book Club stands with Ukraine
This is a vital time to come together in celebration of and support for Ukrainian culture. For May, I’ve chosen the darkly comic, ingenius slim novel by Ukrainian writer Andrey Kurkov, Death and the Penguin.
Set in 1990s Kyiv, our protagonist is lonely aspiring writer Viktor, who has just his pet penguin for company. Viktor lands a job writing obituaries for a newspaper, only to discover that he has in fact been drawn into a sinister political trap. Deadpan, absurd, gripping and moving, this highly original novel feels especially potent now.
ALL MONEY FROM OUR MAY EVENTS WILL GO TO UKRAINIAN CHARITIES. I’m currently planning on donating to the DEC appeal, but please do contact me if you have other suggestions.
Buy the book from Daunt Books, here, and get 10% off using the code WBC at checkout, or by telling them you’re in the gang if you go buy it in person.
#standwithukraine #readwithukraine
The Daunt Festival returns this May!
Thrillingly, Daunt Books are holding their annual festival on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th May at the beautiful Marylebone shop. They’ve got masses of great talks lined up: watch this space for more info about who’s coming, and also for a link to book tickets. In keeping with tradition, Emily’s Walking Book Club will feature at the Festival, walking around Regent’s Park, on the Friday morning. Exact times TBC.
I hope many of you will share my excitement about our appearance at the festival on the Friday in Regent’s Park, but for those who can’t make it into town that day, fear not, we will have our usual Sunday Heath walk too, as well as the Zoom on Monday evening as usual.
So, for May, these are the things to remember:
We are reading Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov
Ticket sales for these events will go to Ukrainian charities
Three chances to discuss it:
At the Daunt Books Festival, walking around Regent’s Park on Friday 20th May, at approx 10am (exact time tbc)
On Hampstead Heath, on Sunday 22nd May, 11.30-1pm,
On Zoom, on Monday 23rd May, 8-8.30pm.
Look out in the next newsletter for the announcement of our June and July picks, plus links to book tickets for May, June and July.
Phew! Another long newsletter. Enjoy reading the books, and looking forward to seeing you this Sunday/Monday.
Emily