Spoiler Alert! by Jenny Frame

For a solitary child, reading was really important to me. I enjoyed going regularly to the library with my mum and picking out some new books. I think the first book I remember loving, reading and rereading was, Where The Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. I loved that book, and even though I was…

Manic Crafting by new author Lyn Hemphill

A couple of days ago I decided to have a day off from my usual job (I mark papers and tutor kids for an online school, so unsurprisingly we’ve been pretty busy during the Coronavirus lockdown!) and spend all of my usual work time writing. I managed 900 words. By the end of the day…

Opportunity and Adventure in Change by Rebecca S. Buck

This is the 11th time there has been a Nottingham-based Bold Strokes Books festival. It’s an event that spans a whole decade. Way back in 2010, the first occasion was one quite formal afternoon in the upstairs room in Waterstones. It’s grown into a two-day celebration, welcoming international authors most years, spilling out of Waterstones into…

And So it Begins by Victoria Villasenor

May, 2020. We're heading toward June. Six months of the year seem to have drifted by, pushed by the winds of change none of us expected but all of us, globally, must deal with. It is the eleventh year of the Bold Strokes UK festival. We passed our decade mark, and we're heading into our…

BSB UK Event Update

I've been trying to find an easy way into this conversation, but there simply isn't one. And so, to the point: I'm sure it won't terribly surprise anyone to know that we have made the decision to cancel this year's BSB UK event at Waterstones. Although June still seems far away, when looking at safety…

A Decade Of Words

Ten years ago, a new Nottingham author got in touch to say she'd like to do a reading/signing at Waterstones; could we help her make it happen? A decade later, we're still doing those author readings/signings. It grew from that one weeknight that had been shifted at the last minute and included three authors, to…

New from Anna Larner: Love’s Portrait

Love’s Portrait is a vibrant contemporary lesbian romance with a historical twist. Sparks fly between Molly, an art curator, and Georgina, her museum’s aloof benefactor, as they research the portrait of a 19th-century lesbian social activist and try to convince the museum’s board to display it. *** “My intention?” Molly instantly thought again of Edith’s…

Safe to Simply Be by Robyn Nyx

There’s so much to be said for a safe space...

And…Breathe.

What an amazing, outstanding, deliciously wordy weekend...

All the Feelings by Amy Dunne

Every year, for the last seven years, I’ve attended the BSB UK Book Event. I look forward to it every single year. I’ve always been an avid reader and so many of my favourite novels have been published by BSB and their very talented authors. I love hearing the authors read from their own books,…