Ely Events and Reading Groups
In this atmospheric medieval city, just over an hour from London by train, author events range from reading groups and intimate events in the bookshop to the drama of performances under the world-renowned Octagon of Ely Cathedral. We hold events all year round, but in the autumn there is a special focus on the Ely Literary Festival.
Peter Grainger
Thursday 16th July, 7pm
When Caroline Thorpe succeeded in casting doubt on the verdict of the inquest into her brother's death, she could not have anticipated what would follow.Freddie was …
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Alison Weir
Tuesday 21st July, 7pm
From the author of the Six Tudor Queens series, a new novel about two Boleyn cousins, close as sisters – and the truth that will change …
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AJ West and Layla McCay
Wednesday 29th July, 7pm
It is such a joy to be hosting these two incredible authors this pride month to tell us more about our favourite queer books!We are in …
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David Baldacci
Friday 31st July, 7pm
REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED COLD . . .After turning informant for the FBI against a global criminal empire, Walter Nash has lost everything he …
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Reading Group - Burnt Shadows
Tuesday 11th August, 7.30pm
From the 1945 destruction of Nagasaki to the post-9/11 invasion of Afghanistan, Kamila Shamsie's much-admired novel is both an involving family saga and an exploration of …
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Reading Group - The Cafe with no Name
Tuesday 11th August, 7.30pm
It is 1966, and Robert Simon has just fulfilled his dream by taking over a cafe on the corner of a bustling Vienna market. He recruits …
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Susie Dent
Friday 21st August, 7pm
When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from an alphabet created by a deceased writer whose papers she once worked …
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Queer Reading Group - Deserts of the Heart
Tuesday 25th August, 7pm
This was the freedom she wanted, an animal freedom exposed to the emptiness of sky and land and water. As she stepped forward, Ann flipped into …
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Neil Price
Thursday 3rd September, 7pm
Who do we think of when we think about the Vikings? Most of us are familiar with the seafaring marauders who raided, traded and settled the …
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Rachel Morley
Tuesday 8th September, 7pm
The poet John Betjeman coined the phrase 'church crawling' to describe his days out visiting churches. In the spirit of Betjeman, Morley's book captures the magical …
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Reading Group - The French Lieutenant's Woman
Wednesday 9th September, 7.30pm
Both critically lauded and immensely popular with readers, John Fowles' Lyme Regis-set tale of romantic obsession in an age of repression is both a satisfyingly detailed, …
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Andrew Davies
Thursday 10th September, 7pm
The undisputed maestro of literary adaptation finally turns his razor-sharp pen on the most challenging subject of all: himself. Andrew Davies has written his way into …
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Tim Spicer
Friday 11th September, 7pm
This story is not just another history of the SAS. It is the only biography of an extraordinary man, 'whose courage made it easier for us …
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Yotam Ottolenghi
Monday 14th September, 7.30pm
It's a noisy world out there, so stop, take a minute or two, listen to the soup bubble or the egg crackle... and let simple cooking …
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Edith Hall
Thursday 17th September, 7pm
The story of Medea, a maligned and misunderstood woman of Greek mythology, from one of Britain's foremost classicistsMothers who kill their children are universally abhorred but …
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Alison Bruce
Friday 18th September, 7pm
TWO BODIES. TWO DECADES APART. ONE DEADLY CONNECTION.When an arson attack reveals a fresh corpse alongside remains from nearly twenty years ago, DS Ronnie Blake and …
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Alycia Pirmohamed
Monday 21st September, 7pm
As a young Muslim woman, Alycia Pirmohamed grew up with her body as racialised and her faith as seemingly dangerous. Her affinity to the natural world …
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Irvine Welsh
Tuesday 22nd September, 7pm
From the Author of Trainspotting...Molly and George Warburton are used to living life their own way. Now, in the ferocious heat of Sin City, the couple …
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Ed Conway
Wednesday 23rd September, 7pm
Ed Conway is a writer and broadcaster. He is the Economics and Data Editor of Sky News and a regular columnist for The Times and Sunday …
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Tim Hayward
Thursday 24th September, 7pm
It's 6 o'clock: clear your mind of the cares of the day. Relax and fix yourself a drink. It's The Cocktail Hour.The moment Tim Hayward started …
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Charles Moseley
Monday 28th September, 7pm
Hereward the Wake, for a thousand years, has been hailed as a national hero, a brave warrior making a stand against England’s new masters, the Normans. …
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Sarah Clegg
Wednesday 7th October, 7pm
We often think of them as tiny, glittering creatures fluttering about in pastel tulle, but fairies haven't always been so benign. Here, historian Sarah Clegg explores …
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Reading Group - Moon Tiger
Tuesday 13th October, 7.30pm
A dying woman looks back over her complex, quietly turbulent life from childhood to final illness, whilst also attempting to make sense of the world that …
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Victoria Hislop
Tuesday 20th October, 7pm
Beloved, bestselling author Victoria Hislop explores the turbulence of the post-war era in Greece in this unforgettable and riveting new novel that will delight those fans …
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Robert Harris
Wednesday 21st October, 7pm
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2026 IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, BBC CULTURE, THE MIRROR AND RADIO TIMES.From the bestselling author of Conclave comes a new …
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Reading Group - I am Legend & The Shrinking Man
Tuesday 10th November, 7pm
Celebrated for the depth and craft he could bring to seemingly childish material, Richard Matheson was a highly influential genre writer whose best work continues to …
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Reading Group - Dodger by Terry Pratchett
Tuesday 8th December, 7pm
In his final stand-alone novel, Terry Pratchett paid homage to another master of character, atmosphere and humour, evoking a richly detailed Dickensian London, seething with colourful …
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British Museum Lectures: The Bayeux Tapestry
Tuesday 19th January, 7pm
We're delighted to be joined by curator Michael Lewis to discuss the upcoming British Museum exhibition, The Bayeux Tapestry, and its accompanying publications.These new titles mark …
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