boti reads: this week’s literary happenings

We’re big book lovers here at BOTI towers, so each week, we’ll be giving you the lowdown on Brighton-based releases and our picks of the literary events happening in and around the city. Here’s what’s coming up this week:

Olivia Laing, Crudo
There’s still time to snap up tickets for this evening’s event at the lovely Rialto Theatre. Non-fiction author (and former Brighton resident, actually) Olivia Laing, will  be talking about her first novel, Crudo, the beautifully written and blisteringly funny account of a writer turning 40 and finding love for the first time, all set against the terrifying apocalyptic backdrop of the summer of 2017. Just how do you balance happiness and emotional intimacy when you feel the wider world is imploding around you? Laing will be discussing the heavily autobiographical book with journalist and The Party (if you haven’t read it, you need to) author Elizabeth Day.
Tuesday 26th June, 7.00pm; £10
Rialto Theatre, 11 Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 3FE
rialtotheatre.co.uk

Araminta Hall and Elizabeth Enfield
Thriller meets romance as two Brighton-based writers, Araminta Hall (you can read our interview with her here) and Elizabeth Enfield, discuss the commonalities between their respective novels, which at first glance couldn’t appear more different. Our Kind of Cruelty is an unputdownable tale of obsessive love while Ivy and Abe is impossibly romantic. They’ll be discussing their books, influences and the topics that inform their writing over a glass of vino.
Thursday 28th June, 7.30pm; £3
Waterstones Brighton, 71-74 North Street, Brighton, BN1 1ZA
waterstones.com

Sophie Kinsella, Surprise Me
And, last but not least, Sophia Kinsella – she of the bestselling Shopaholic series – will be at Waterstones on Saturday, signing copies of her new paperback Surprise Me, which delves into the heart of marriage and how those we think we know best can sometimes surprise us the most. Written in Kinsella’s hallmark style, it’s a genuinely funny heartfelt read.
Saturday 30th June, 11.30am – 1.30pm; free
Lower ground floor, Waterstones Brighton, 71-74 North Street, Brighton, BN1 1ZA
waterstones.com