Archive for News

Cressida Cowell Launch Tour – Portsmouth Event

One of the most eagerly awaited children’s book of 2017, THE WIZARDS OF ONCE publishes in September, launching a brand new series by Cressida Cowell, author-illustrator of the 8-million-copy-selling How to Train Your Dragon series, which has inspired a generation of readers as well as a DreamWorks’ movie and TV franchise of the same name.

The Hayling Island Bookshop in conjunction with Portsmouth Grammar School are delighted to announce that they will run one of Cressida’ Launch Tour Events. The evening event will take place at the David Russell Theatre, Portsmouth Grammar School, High Street, Old Portsmouth on September 26th starting at 5pm. The new book is suitable for children aged 8-12.

Each £12.99 ticket entitles the attendee to one copy of the new book and hear Cressida talk about her new series. Cressida will hold a book signing after her Talk. Ticket holders will also receive a poster. A selection of Cressida’s other books will be available to purchase, with cash, at the event venue which will also be signed by her if time permits.

Book tickets by calling The Hayling Island Bookshop on 02392 466620, children must be accompanied by an adult at this event. There is no charge for the accompanying adult.

 

An Evening With – Isabel Ashdown

Local author, Isabel Ashdown, has four books to her name with another due out this spring. Her first novel Glasshopper (Observer Best Debuts of 2009, Evening Standard Best Books of the Year) was published in 2009. An extract from the novel won the Mail on Sunday Novel Competition and was described by judges Fay Weldon, Michael Ridpath and Sir John Mortimer as ‘magnificent’. Her second novel Hurry Up And Wait was published to critical acclaim in 2011 and was listed as one of Amazon Kindle’s Customer Favourites in 2011. Her third book, Summer of ’76 followed in 2013 and she will be talking about her most recent novel Flight which came out in May 2015.

Isabel will be supporting St Wilfrid’s DREAMBUILDING project with an evening of readings and ‘book chat’ from 7.30pm

At St John’s Church, Southbourne PO10 8LB

Tickets are just £5 each.

The Hayling Island Bookshop will be selling copies of Isabel’s books at the venue which can be signed by the author and they will also donate 15% of the profits to St Wilfrid’s

To book, please contact Event Organiser, Alison Tuck, on: alisontuck625@googlemail.com

Multi-award-winning, international bestselling writer and artist Lauren Child will visit two schools in Portsmouth on Tuesday 15th November. She will visit Solent Infant School and Copnor Primary School to talk to Reception, Year 1 and 2 pupils in an event which has been organised by The Hayling Island Bookshop in partnership with Portsmouth School Library Service.

Her Charlie And Lola books are known and loved the world over and Lauren has also written the Clarice Bean series of picture books and novels and a new series for ages 6 to 12 featuring secret agent Ruby Redfort. Lauren is visiting Portsmouth to talk about her latest Charlie And Lola book One Thing, a picture book which introduces counting and numbers to younger readers.  After her talk Lauren will meet the children and sign and dedicate books.

Although you won’t be able to meet Lauren personally unless you are at the above schools, you can call the Hayling Island Bookshop and pre book copies of the new Charlie And Lola book One Thing or books in the Ruby Redfort series, which the Bookshop will arrange to have signed and dedicated by Lauren while she is with them in Portsmouth. Customers will be able to collect their signed books from the Bookshop. Call the Bookshop on 02392 466620 to pre book your copy and tell them how you would like Lauren to dedicate your copy.

Marie Telford, Owner of The Hayling Island Bookshop says “We have been trying to entice Lauren to visit the city for some time now and we are excited and delighted that she has a new Charlie And Lola book out and that she will be coming to tell us all about it!”

Portsmouth Festivities presents………BBC’s JIM AL-KHALILI

Michael Faraday and the Birth of the Electric Machines

Jim Al-Khalili has presented The Life Scientific on Radio 4 since 2011. Physicist, author, and broadcaster, he will give an electrifying talk on Michael Faraday’s 1832 paper on electromagnetic induction and its almost immediate effect in transforming our world. The talk will describe the key experiments Faraday carried out at the Royal Institution in London, and how he discovered that an electric current could be induced to flow through a conductor that experiences a changing magnetic field. His ideas would directly lead to the development of the electric dynamo and electric motor, two technological advances that are the very foundations of the modern world.

You can buy copies of his books after the Talk and meet Jim to have them signed. Books will include is latest Life on the Edge : The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology

Wednesday 22nd June 7.30 David Russell Theatre Portsmouth Grammar School

Click on the Portsmouth Festivities link on this web page to be taken to their website. Book tickets for all Festivities events there.

 

Cressida Cowell

We are delighted to be hosting Cressida Cowell who will visit two schools in Portsmouth on Friday May 20th to speak to over 800 pupils about her book How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury, the last instalment of her multimillion selling How to Train Your Dragon series. Cressida will visit Solent Junior and Court Lane Junior schools in events arranged by us with Portsmouth School Library Service.

Although you won’t be able to meet Cressida personally unless you are at the above schools, Hayling Island Bookshop Customers can call us and pre book copies of the last book How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury, which we will arrange to have signed and dedicated by Cressida while she is with us in Portsmouth. Customers will be able to collect their signed books from the Bookshop. While stocks last, they will be supplied with an special A3 poster and How To Train Your Dragon badge.

Call us on 02392 466620 to pre book your copy and tell us what dedication you would like from Cressida.

Meet Romantic Novelist Erica James

Bestselling author Erica James is speaking at Hayling Library on Wednesday 27th April at 7pm. She will be talking about her 20 year writing career, including her new book Song of the Skylark. Her books include  GARDENS OF DELIGHT, which won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award, and her recent Sunday Times top ten bestsellers, SUMMER AT THE LAKE and THE DANDELION YEARS, She grew up on Hayling Island and now divides her time between Suffolk and Lake Como in Italy, where she strikes up conversation with unsuspecting Italians.

Books will be on sale after her talk for signing by Erica. Ticket holders will receive a discount off books bought on the night.

Tickets are available from the library, through the booking line on 023 9246 1534 or visit www.hants.gov.uk/shop to guarantee a place.

Tickets for BookFest 2016 are on sale on line or via the Box Office on 02392 688 037.

There are a wide range of events including the first Black British short story anthology Closure , Neil Allen and former Pompey goalkeeper Alan Knight in Played Up Pompey, Eleanor Stewart follows up her popular first novel Kicking The Habit with her sequel New Habits, multi million best seller Adele Parks joins us again, there is afternoon tea with Lotte Moggach and there ever popular CSI Portsmouth returns with crime writers and Hampshire Police specialists discussing the facts and fiction of crime. The full programme is on the website http://www.portsmouthbookfest.co.uk/ and tickets on line can be booked at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/portsmouth-bookfest-2016-tickets-19684228056

Free Books For Children On Small Business Saturday

Bookshop owner Marie Telford is hoping that shoppers will once again take advantage of the free parking offer across the whole of Havant Borough during Small Business Saturday on Saturday December 5th. The Hayling Island Bookshop have large stocks left of the special “short story” books produced each year for World Book Day and will be giving them away, while stocks last, to children who visit the Bookshop on the 5th. They will also have up to 20% off all books purchased in the store that day and free €œBooks Are My Bag€ canvas bags with purchases over £20.

Marie who owns The Hayling Island Bookshop had successfully lobbied Havant Council in 2013 to allow free parking for the first ever UK Small Business Saturday which resulted in increased footfall in Borough shopping areas. In 2015, Havant Borough Council has once again agreed to three hours free parking across their Car Parks in the whole Borough which is a great incentive to customers and businesses to shop with their local small businesses.

New Forest Readers’ Day – A mini literary festival in a day

Treat yourself to a day out in the autumnal splendour of The New Forest at the Forest Arts Centre, Forest Arts Centre. Old Milton Road, New Milton, Hampshire, BH25 6DS

Saturday 14 November 10am – 3.30pm Tickets £26, £24 concs Places limited

Do you enjoy a good read?  Do you sometimes wish you could ask the author a question directly? On this day we give you the chance to do exactly that with three top writers of romance, crime and historical fiction – something for everyone.

Lucy Dillon has won the prestigious Romantic Novel Association prize twice, most recently for ‘A Hundred Pieces of Me’, a heart-wrenching yet truly life affirming tale.  Lucy’s latest novel, her sixth, is ‘One Small Act of Kindness’, a really vibrant story of friendship, secrets and the kindness of strangers.  A brilliant writer of women’s fiction with heart.

Kate Rhodes is the acclaimed author of two poetry collections.  In 2012 she published the first in her London based crime series featuring psychologist Alice Quentin, ‘Crossbones Yard’.  This year sees Alice’s fourth case come to light in ‘River of Souls’ where getting inside the mind of a killer isn’t for the faint of heart. Excelling in character, pace and sense of place,

S D Sykes has written for radio and developed screenplays.  Her first novel ‘Plague Land’ come out last year and is followed by ‘The Butcher Bird’ in October. Danger and intrigue fill these medieval mysteries, taking us from the plague ruined villages of Kent to the filthy streets of London.  Really compelling and vivid reads.

The day starts with a panel discussion involving all the authors before you split into groups to hear more from two authors of your choice.  They will ask for your choices at time of booking.

A sandwich lunch is included in the ticket price. Books available for sale and signing on the day.

Book on line  http://www3.hants.gov.uk/forest or Call 01425 612393

Jacqueline Wilson Events

We are pleased to announce details of the two events we are running with Dame Jacqueline Wilson on Saturday October 17th in Gosport. These events are to celebrate the publication of the latest novel in her Hettie Feather series – Little Stars. Admission to each event is by ticket only and children must be accompanied to the venues by an adult, Tickets are on sale from September 1st from The Hayling Island Bookshop on 02392 466 620.

Details of each event are as follows:

Saturday 17th Morning  – Talk at Bay House School, Alverstoke. Sat Nav PO12 2QP 

Doors open 10.45, Jacqueline will be talking on stage about her books from 11.30 to 12.30 including audience questions. Tickets are for children only to be admitted to the Main Hall for the Talk to allow the maximum number of her fans hear her. There is a large Hall next to the Main Hall where adults accompanying children can wait during the talk. Car Parking available on school playgrounds (free) and at nearby public pay car parks. Each ticket £13 ticket includes a copy of the £12.99 Little Stars book, Jacqueline will not be meeting audience members individually to sign books but every book will have a preprinted signed book plate.

There will be a Bookshop at the event with a range of Jacqueline’s other titles which will be sold with preprinted signed book plates. Payments by cash only as there are no card processing facilities at the venue.

Saturday 17th Afternoon Tea with Jacqueline – the Bakery, Royal Clarence Yard Sat Nav PO12 1AX 

The restored Naval Bakery within the heritage site at Royal Clarence Yard is the setting for “Tea for Little Stars” – which is an afternoon tea with Jacqueline rather than a talk and will be limited to 80 children.  Doors open 2.15, tea starts at 3pm. Jacqueline will visit each table during the afternoon to meet the children. Afternoon Tea tickets are for children only and cost £18 each to include the afternoon tea and a signed copy of the £12.99 book Little Stars, parents will be able to wait at the venue during the afternoon but will not be seated for afternoon tea. There is free Car Parking for up to four hours at Cooperage Green which is a six minutes walk from the venue. Use Sat Nav PO12 1AX for the Car Park.

There will be a Bookshop at the event with a range of Jacqueline’s other titles which will be sold with preprinted signed book plates. Payments by cash only as there are no card processing facilities at the venue.