Independent bookshop October Books in Portswood, Southampton, continues its programme of events, both in shop and online, this month.
The programme for August gets underway tomorrow evening (Thursday 5th) with a livestream with James Dyke, author of Fire, Storm and Flood: the violence of climate change.
Register via Eventbrite to join Dr James Dyke via Zoom to hear about his new book. Violent geologic events have ravaged the Earth since time began, spanning the vast eons of our planet’s existence. These seismic phenomena have scored their marks in rock strata and been reflected in fossil records for future humanity to excavate and ponder. For most of the proceeding our history, we Homo sapiens simply observed natural climate upheaval. Two hundred years ago industrialization stunningly changed the rules, so that now most climate change is driven by us.
Fire, Storm and Flood is an unflinching photographic record of the epic effects of a violent climate, from the earliest extinction events to the present, in which we witness climate chaos forced by unnatural global warming. It uses often emotional and moving imagery to drive home the enormity of climatic events, offering a sweeping acknowledgment of our planet’s heart-breaking vulnerability and show-stopping beauty.
Dr James Dyke is an academic, writer and author. He is an Assistant Director of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter where he also leads the MSc Global Sustainability Solutions. He writes an environmental column for the UK newspaper i and is a contributor to the Guardian, Independent, Ecologist, The Conversation and many other publications. James conducted his doctoral research at the Evolutionary & Adaptive Systems Group at the University of Sussex, and then held posts at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, Germany, and the Centre for Complex Systems Simulation at the University of Southampton.
On Thursday, Author 12, author Lynn Farley-Rose will be in October Books in the evening to talk about her book of human connections, The Interview Chain.
Join Lynn Farley-Rose in the shop. Everyone has something interesting to say if you take the time to listen. The Interview Chain is a series of conversations—each interviewee was asked to nominate someone they admire as the next link. Starting from a casual conversation on a boat on the Thames, the chain wended its way for over 23,000 miles, alighting on three continents and gathering up personal perspectives on issues that really matter in the world today. At this event Lynn will talk about these remarkable people, each of whom had wise words to share about the human world—about things that help to make it a kinder and more connected place.
Whilst working as a research psychologist Lynn became fascinated by what people do to cope when things gets tough. Her first book, 31 Treats And A Marriage, was a personal account of reconnecting with life after years as a wife and mother, when everything was overturned by unforeseen calamities. This led her to wonder about other people’s stories, particularly on the question of where people find strength and inspiration. Lynn lives in Southampton.
A date for parents for the school holiday diaries is Saturday, August 14, when author Vie Potland will be leading an afternoon of storytelling, colouring and crafting for children, aged three to seven, from noon in October Books’ on site community space.
Join Vie Portland in the shop where she will be reading from her book ‘Where Are We Going?’ – a story of how an ordinary journey home becomes an extraordinary, imaginary, magical adventure. Vie (pictured top) is a local author, a creator of happiness products, and founder of VieNess – a Community Interest Company that teaches self esteem and confidence, kindness and acceptance, to children, young people and women.
Interactive Fiction: The Next Direction, will be the topic of a a discussion group on Saturday, August 21 at 2pm in October Books’ community space.
Join authors Joey Jones and KJ Shadmand in the shop, with Jamie Thomson beaming in via Zoom, to be part of the discussion and learn more about this unique genre.
Interactive fiction — stories shaped by the reader — is experiencing a new heyday. Join in a discussion about the gamebook renaissance and recent developments in interactive fiction. This event is for fans and authors of interactive fiction, and will also provide an opportunity for newbies to find out more about the genre.
It’s back online on August 26 for a live stream, when you can join Dr Sophie Mort via ZOOM to hear practical and insightful wellbeing advice from her book ‘A Manual For Being Human’.
Do you want to believe in yourself and your ability to be content with who you are? If the answer is yes, then A Manual for Being Human is the book you need to read. Do you want to understand how your childhood affects who you are today? How it affects your relationship with yourself and others? How school, bullying, gender expectations and even the social media you consume each day affects your emotional wellbeing? Do you want to know what your emotions actually are, where they come from and how to manage them when they threaten to overwhelm you? With her 3 step methodology Dr Soph will help you to understand why we all feel anxious, stressed, insecure and down from time to time. Reassuring, knowledgeable and kind, Dr Soph offers support to those feeling lost at sea in today’s troubling times and gives you the tools you need to help get the most out of life.
Dr Soph is a clinical psychologist with a personal mission to get psychology out of the therapy room and into people’s lives in a way that makes sense to them and helps make self-understanding and the tools for healing accessible. She has an Undergraduate degree in Psychology, a Masters in Neuroscience and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and has worked on the frontline at London’s Homerton Hospital. She has helped thousands manage their emotional wellbeing.
Register via Eventbrite for instructions to join your event – this will help us manage social distancing for in-person events and prevent zoom-bombing at online events. All events are free entry, but if you’d like to give October Books a donation, please do so here.
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