📚🚶May's On My Reading Radar

Walks, books, talks, music, theatre, dance...

Dear walking book clubbers,

A beautiful sunny May has seen me enjoying getting outdoors as much as possible, in anticipation of the summer months to come. Of course living in London makes it not that easy to get into the countryside for long beautiful walks, so I’ve been making the most of finding pockets of nature closer to home, and also changing the way I think about the daily walking the kids to school, or walking the dog (often one and the same thing!) so that these can become times to reset and destress. It seems to be working surprisingly well.

Most days I love a little walk with Alfie along Islington’s New River Walk, which is part of a much much longer New River Path, with an intriguing history (more on that HERE). Have you got a favourite local nature spot, you’d like to share with the group? Do leave a comment below if so. I’d also love to know your recommendations for any other cultural happenings. Keep on reading for a few of mine.

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Books & talks

I’ve really loved getting my teeth into Madeleine Thien’s new novel, The Book of Records, which I’m reviewing for the Spectator.

If you are free TOMORROW (Tuesday) and fancy coming along to see me interview this seriously braniac Canadian author at the Owl Bookshop, Kentish Town, please do. Tickets HERE. There are only a handful left, so if they do sell out, please drop me an email and I’ll see what I can do to squeeze you in.

I LOVED seeing so many of you at my really fun event there last month with Sarah Perry - thanks for coming!

I think I mentioned this a little while ago, but my review of the terrific and important new novel by Rachel Seiffert about children in a German village at the end of the Second World War is now up, HERE.

And yes, to those of you who guessed from my Instagram post about my favourite new bookmark, I’ve also been deep in Martin Stannard’s biography of writer Muriel Spark. Hugely looking forward to discussing her novel Loitering with Intent with you all next month (details at the bottom).

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Music

My favourite London music venue is by far and away The Wigmore Hall. Going there feels like stepping through a porthole into a more civilised, calmer time. I loved hearing Russian pianist Boris Giltburg play some Beethoven sonatas there, including the sublime No. 30 in E, and we’ve got tickets to some more concerts coming up. I appreciate that classical music can feel a little intimidating, and it’s hard to know where to start. I’d say that with the Wigmore you can’t go wrong and if you’re keen to deepen your experience of classical music, why not browse the programme, pick a composer or instrument that appeals, and book a ticket?

At the other end of the scale, I can’t believe that I’m taking my eldest daughter, Vita, to see Dua Lipa play Wembley in June! For those who somehow don’t know, not only is Dua Lipa a wonderful singer, she runs the most brilliant book club. I hesitate to say this, but possibly even better than this one. Do check it out (but please don’t ditch me!)

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Theatre & dance

I went to see the new play, 1536 at the Almeida last week. It’s set when Anne Boleyn was put in the tower and beheaded, but rather than the royal family, the focus is the experience of three young women in an Essex village. It’s a great skew in perspective, and the dialogue is BRILLIANT, very witty and quite Horrible Historiesesque to hear these people from the past talk in such a modern way. This humour makes for a compellingly uncanny companion to the big, unsettling political points that are made about men’s violence and oppression of women. Somehow, it fell a tiny bit short of perfection - a few bits felt slightly ‘theatre by numbers’, but this was writer Ava Pickett’s first play, and I was impressed. She’s obviously ridiculously talented, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. 4.5 out of 5.

Next up, I’m excited to see Inside Giovanni’s Room at Stratford East in June. See HERE for my notes on the James Baldwin book, our pick for last June.

Finally, as a huge treat for all the family, we loved our (second!) visit to Warner Bros Studio Tour London. Absolutely essential for anyone who loves Harry Potter.

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📚🚶June

Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark

It’s London, 1949, and Fleur Talbot is working on her first novel and short of money. When she gets a secretarial job for the pompous director of the Autobiographical Association and he steals her work-in-progress, life begins to imitate fiction with extremely dangerous results… First published in 1981, this remains one of Spark’s wittiest, most delightful novels; it’s the third by this Scottish minor genius that we’ve discussed in the group.

Curious to know more? Listen to THIS episode of the Booker Prize podcast all about it.

Emily’s Regent’s Park Walking Book Club: Friday 20th June, 12-1.45pm, setting off from Daunt Books, 84 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QW, £8-£20

Emily’s Hampstead Heath Walking Book Club Sunday 22nd June, 11.30-1pm, setting off from Daunt Books Hampstead, 51 South End Road, NW3 2QB, £8-£20

Emily’s Zoom Book Club: Monday 23rd June, 8-9pm, £1-£15

Buy Loitering with Intent from Daunt Books HERE and receive 10% off using the code WBC at checkout, or just tell them you’re in Emily’s Walking Book Club if you’re buying it in the shop.

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Happy reading,

Emily