News & What's On
Social Book Event:
Let's Talk Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Meet other Sci-Fi and Fantasy readers.
Get recommendations.
Share the books you love.
A fun, social evening for Sci-Fi and Fantasy readers where you will learn about titles others love, recommend your favourites and leave with something new to read. Think of it as a big Sci-Fi/Fantasy book club - just one where people haven't necessarily read the same books.
Staff will be on hand for recommendations and book-chat too so it’s also an opportunity to tap us for book recommendations in any genre.
PLUS - one lucky attendee will leave with an Everybody Reads tote bag and two books we recommend – one Sci-Fi and one Fantasy.
Tickets and registration for the event are in advance only. You will need to give us the title and author of at least one Sci-Fi or Fantasy book that you recommend to complete your registration. (Once you’ve purchased your ticket we will email you the short form where you can do this. Your registration is not complete until we have your recommendation.)
Date: Sunday 22nd February
Time: 6-7.30pm
Place: Everybody Reads
Fee: £15 - includes £10 toward a book purchased on the night. Refreshments are free.
Tickets: In advance only. Available in-store, by phone or online with Eventbrite (note: an additional fee is added to the price of tickets purchased through Eventbrite)
Author Event:
Alexandra Potter with Freya North
Join us on Monday 9th February for an in-conversation evening with authors Alexandra Potter and Freya North as they discuss Alexandra's new book, So I Met this Guy...
Both authors will be signing copies of their books afterwards.
So I Met This Guy...
Well, isn’t that how every love story starts? But what we don’t know is...how will it end? For Maggie, she certainly didn’t expect it to involve discovering the supposed love-of-her-life has stolen her life-savings, along with her home, heart and self-esteem. So, when she meets Flick, a young reporter who realises this story could be the big break she’s been looking for, they set off together to catch this fraudster as he goes on the run across Europe. After all, she’s got nothing left to lose, right? But as the pair embark on the road trip of their lives, unexpected twists, hidden secrets and hard truths are revealed. And as an unlikely friendship begins to blossom, they realise it’s not just about finding the guy, it’s about finding themselves.
The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne
Eadie is a quirky kid living in a small town where nothing much happens. Bullied at school, she muddles her way through with best friends Celeste and Josh until University takes them their separate ways. Arriving in Manchester as a student in the late 1980s, Eadie experiences a novel freedom and it's intoxicating. As the city embraces the dizzying euphoria of Rave counterculture, Eadie is swept along, ignoring danger and reality. Until, one night, her past comes hurtling at her with consequences she could never have imagined. Now, as the new millennium approaches, Eadie is thirty with a marriage in tatters, travelling back to the town of her birth for a funeral she can't quite comprehend. As she journeys from the North to the South, from the present to the past, Eadie contemplates all that was then and all that is now - in this moving love letter to youth, a time and a place.
Alexandra Potter - Alexandra is the bestselling author of numerous romantic comedy fiction novels in the UK, including One Good Thing and Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up, one of the bestselling books of 2022 and the basis of a major TV series. These titles have sold in twenty-five territories and achieved worldwide sales of more than one million copies, making the bestseller charts across the world. Yorkshire born and raised, Alexandra lived for several years in LA before settling in London with her Californian husband and their Bosnian rescue dog. When she’s not writing or travelling, she’s getting out into nature, trying not to look at her phone and navigating this thing called mid-life.
Freya North - Freya is the author of 16 bestselling novels including the RNA Novel of the Year 2008 Pillow Talk, Richard & Judy Book Club pick Little Wing (2022) and 2024's highly acclaimed The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne. Freya also edits and produces The Book Lover’s Journal which raises funds for BookTrust. In November 2025, she independently published Christmas at Flora's House, the first of a series of novellas set in the Outer Hebrides. A sense of place and the emotional complexities of everyday family life are central to her work. Freya lives on a small farm in Hertfordshire.
Date: Monday 9th February
Time: 7-8.30pm
Place: Everybody Reads
Fee: £5. Refreshments are free.
Tickets: In advance only. Available in-store, by phone or online with Eventbrite (note: an additional fee is added to the price of tickets purchased through Eventbrite)
Author Event:
Rhidian Brook with Colin Heber-Percy
Join us on Thursday 12th February at St Peter's Church, Hammersmith for an in-conversation evening with authors Rhidian Brook and Colin Heber-Percy as they discuss Rhidian's new book, Notes on an Execution.
Both Rhidian and Colin will be signing copies of their books afterwards.
Notes on an Execution
Christian or not, most people are somewhat familiar with the story of Jesus' last days. It's an old story, repeatedly told, and the crux of the Christian faith. Viewed through a 2026 lens, it can be hard to appreciate the relevance and extraordinary drama of Holy Week - we already know how it ends.
What if we didn't?
In Notes on an Execution, bestselling novelist and broadcaster Rhidian Brook throws you into the events of Holy Week so you see them as they unfold, without the advantage of hindsight, from the point of view of someone who was there. Firmly rooted in the relevant books of the New Testament, and with full texts provided at the end of each chapter, the book is both an excellent Lenten contemplation for Christians and an easy-to-read, absorbing introduction to the faith for curious non-Christians.
Lost in the Forest
This book is a hymn to getting lost. Drawing on his experience as a troubled schoolboy, a burnt-out screenwriter at the BBC, an 'awkward' priest in the Church of England, Colin Heber-Percy reflects on the value of not belonging. We all share a desire to belong. There's reassurance and safety in knowing who we are and where we fit in. But at significant moments in our lives - a new job, new school or an unexpected change of circumstances - or just in the ruts and routines of everyday life, we can experience a sense of not belonging, of dislocation, of being lost in a forest. But, there is another way to approach these uneasy moments. Rather than fearing the forest, Colin discovers great value and creativity there. Join parish priest Colin Heber-Percy in an invitation to get lost - to lose the labels society and institutions use to box us in - and to relish the liberation of losing our way in the world. Blending anecdotes from parish life, with philosophy, literature and tales from his local Savernake Forest, Colin argues that there is an overlooked richness, a spirituality and a freedom to be found outside the boundary lines our culture sets for us. Lost in the Forest is a gentle, funny, and life-affirming trail of crumbs through the woods...
Rhidian Brook is an award-winning writer. His first novel The Testimony of Taliesin Jones (1996) won several prizes including the Somerset Maugham Award and was adapted for a film starring Jonathan Pryce. His third novel, The Aftermath (2013) was an international bestseller and translated into 25 languages; the film adaptation starred Keira Knightley. He wrote the BBC drama, Mr Harvey Lights A Candle, starring Timothy Spall; was a writer on Silent Witness; and wrote the original screenplay of the Pathe film Africa United. He has adapted his most recent novel – The Killing of Butterfly Joe (2018) – for film. He has been a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Thought For The Day for 25 years. A collection of his Thoughts, entitled Godbothering, was published in March 2020. His latest book - Notes on an Execution - retells the story of the last days of Jesus. He is currently writing a novel inspired by the year he spent living in Jerusalem.
Rev Dr Colin Heber-Percy is the parish priest for the villages around Savernake Forest, as well as a screenwriter and author. His screenwriting work has won many awards and been shown all over the world. He has a PHD in medieval metaphysics and has lectured on spirituality, faith, film and fiction. He lives in Wiltshire with his wife and three children.
Date: Thursday 12th February
Time: 7-8.30pm
Place: Everybody Reads
Fee: £5
Tickets: In advance only. Available in-store, by phone or online with Eventbrite (note: an additional fee is added to the price of tickets purchased through Eventbrite)
Author Event:
Roxy Dunn with Hattie Crisell
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Join us for an in-conversation evening with authors Roxy Dunn and Hattie Crisell as they discuss Roxy's newest book, Wants & Needs.
Both authors will be signing copies of their books afterwards.
Wants & Needs
Independence seems to be drifting away from Misty. Just months ago, she was living with her fiancé and planning their life together. Now she’s single, back in her childhood bedroom, on crutches from knee surgery, and relying on her mother to help her with the smallest of tasks. This isn’t how thirty-two was meant to look. When Misty turns to dating apps, she's immediately intrigued by charismatic, handsome Christopher – so intrigued that she doesn’t even notice the acronym ‘ENM’ on his profile. By the time she discovers that it stands for ‘ethical non-monogamy' – and that he’s in a long-term open relationship – she already feels such undeniable, chemistry that she decides to give things a go. And so Misty makes a pact with herself to date Christopher for the next six weeks while his partner is away. It’s all part of her plan: she wants to learn to become less attached, and to prepare herself for her next ‘real’ relationship. But is what she wants really what she needs?
In Writing : Conversations on Inspiration, Perspiration and Creative Desperation
The must-have companion for any writer, based on Hattie Crisell's hit podcast. Hattie Crisell invites some of our most-read authors, poets, journalists and screenwriters to share their secrets, as she asks them: where do ideas come from? What happens when confidence falters or the work fails? And what does writing success look like? The answers are as revelatory and entertaining as they are diverse. With contributions from André Aciman, Jesse Armstrong, Charlie Brooker, Wendy Cope, Cressida Cowell, Elizabeth Day, Kit de Waal, Geoff Dyer, John Lanchester, Emily St John Mandel, Liane Moriarty, David Nicholls, Maggie O'Farrell, Jon Ronson, Michael Rosen, David Sedaris, Curtis Sittenfeld, Brandon Taylor, Barbara Trapido, Meg Wolitzer and many many more.
Roxy Dunn - Roxy's debut novel, As Young as This (published by Fig Tree, Penguin) was sold at auction and was a Best Book of 2024 in The Independent, Harper’s Bazaar, Stylist, Cosmopolitan, and Sunday Times Style. She is also a screenwriter and alumni of the BBC Comedy Room. Her scripts have been optioned by several production companies and her pilot Useless Millennials was commissioned and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Wants and Needs is her second novel. She lives in London.
Hattie Crisell is a freelance writer based in London. Her book, In Writing: Conversations on Inspiration, Perspiration and Creative Desperation, was published by Granta Books in November 2024. Since 2019 she has produced and hosted the podcast In Writing with Hattie Crisell, interviewing writers of all kinds in their studies. She is a contributing editor of Grazia magazine and has written for The Times, Bustle, Elle, Vogue, You, The Telegraph, The Evening Standard and The Sunday Times Style, among others.
Date: Wednesday 25th February
Time: 7-8.30pm
Place: Everybody Reads
Fee: £5. Refreshments are free.
Tickets: In advance only. Available in-store, by phone or online with Eventbrite (note: an additional fee is added to the price of tickets purchased through Eventbrite)
Daytime Group: Shared Reading
At Shared Reading a short story or poem is read aloud in a group. People can just listen, or join in and talk with others about their responses to the piece. The sessions are led by the lovely Asya, trained by the charity The Reader. This is a great way to enjoy something thought-provoking together with others.
Dates: 8th and 22nd January
Time: 11am-12pm
Place: Downstairs at Everybody Reads
Fee: FREE
Register: No pre-booking required, but if you know you are coming let us know as it helps us to anticipate numbers
Book Group: Everybody Reads Fiction
This group meets monthly to discuss a new fiction title in paperback. Just buy the book at Everybody Reads (at 10% off) and register for the discussion at time of purchase. Feel free to bring refreshments on the night; we can provide glasses.
February Title:
FULL,
ask about our
waitlist
Service
by John Tottenham
What's this book about? Is there a restroom? Do you have gluten-free bagels? Do you work here? Do you have a restroom? Do I buy books or rent books or what?
Still a bookseller in his late forties, Sean knows that the worst thing about a bookshop is the customers. Then there's the gift-wrapping, the invoicing, the Yelp reviews. The overwhelming sense of self-loathing after another day of not writing a novel yourself.
While Sean's book remains unfinished, his city has changed around him. As have friends and acquaintances, at least the ones who keep in touch. The service industry is different, too. But what, or whom, is he serving anyway?
Biting, hilarious and self-aware, John Tottenham's debut novel is a razor-sharp dissection of gentrification, friendship, jealousy and the role of literature in a digital age.
Date: Tuesday, 3rd February
Time: 7 - 8pm
Place: Everybody Reads
Fee: FREE, with purchase of featured title
Register: At time of book purchase
Book Group: Everybody Reads Novellas
This group meets monthly to discuss short works of fiction. Just buy the book at Everybody Reads (at 10% off) and register for the discussion at time of purchase. Feel free to bring refreshments on the night; we can provide glasses.
February Title:
Chess
by Stefan Zweig
A group of passengers on a cruise ship challenge the world chess champion to a match. At first, they crumble, until they are helped by whispered advice from a stranger in the crowd - a man who will risk everything to win.
Stefan Zweig's acclaimed novella Chess is a disturbing, intensely dramatic depiction of obsession and the price of genius.
83 pages
Date: Tuesday, 10th February
Time: 7 - 8pm
Place: Everybody Reads
Fee: FREE, with purchase of featured title
Register: At time of book purchase
Book Group: Ideas for Life
This group meets monthly to discuss a non-fiction title. Just buy the book at Everybody Reads (at 10% off) and register for the discussion at time of purchase. Feel free to bring refreshments on the night; we can provide glasses.
January Title:
FULL,
ask about our
waitlist
Quiet
by Susan Cain
Cain uncovers the strengths of the quiet and thoughtful among us, in this classic exploration of what it means to be an introvert in an ever louder world.
Date: Tuesday, 20th January
Time: 7 - 8pm
Place: Everybody Reads
Fee: FREE, with purchase of featured title
Register: At time of book purchase
Book Group: Everybody Reads History
This group meets every other month to discuss a history title. Just buy the book at Everybody Reads (at 10% off) and register for the discussion at time of purchase. Feel free to bring refreshments on the night; we can provide glasses.
January Title:
The Golden Road
by William Dalrymple
William Dalrymple draws from a lifetime of scholarship to highlight India’s oft-forgotten position as the heart of ancient Eurasia. From the largest Hindu temple in the world at Angkor Wat to the Buddhism of China, from the trade that helped fund the Roman Empire to the creation of the numerals we use today (including zero), India transformed the culture and technology of its ancient world – and our world today as we know it.
Date: Monday, 19th January
Time: 7 - 8pm
Place: Everybody Reads
Fee: FREE, with purchase of featured title
Register: At time of book purchase
Children's Event:
Half-Term Creative Writing Workshop
We’re delighted to welcome Mariah Mannae to Everybody Reads for an introductory creative writing workshop designed for children 7-12.
Mariah’s classes focus on nurturing creativity, confidence, literary technique, and imaginative thinking. In this session, young writers will take part in imaginative, play-based writing games and activities that encourage originality and self-expression.
With a particular focus on character, participants will explore how to create compelling protagonists by thinking about who their characters are, what they want, and how they move through the world. Through guided exercises, children will begin developing an original character and lay the foundations for their own story.
Above all, this workshop is about community, creativity, and connection, offering young writers a supportive and collaborative space to explore ideas and bring their characters to life.
About the Instructor:
Mariah Mannae is an accomplished writer, educator, and youth mentor with over ten years of experience in arts and education. She was one of only sixteen writers selected for the Curtis Brown Creative Novel Program in 2021 and received the Dennis Diderot Grant for her screenplay. She has also completed a residency at the Château d’Orquevaux Artists & Writers Residency in France. Mariah is passionate about empowering the next generation of creatives and helping young writers discover and develop their unique voices.
Date: Tuesday, 17th February
Time: 4.30-5.30pm
Place: Everybody Reads
Fee: £15.50
Tickets: online via link below
Children's Group: BabyTime!
For children under 2 (and their grown-ups)
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It's never too early to read to your baby! This group is an opportunity for our youngest readers (and their parents!) to meet, socialise and enjoy age-appropriate board books together. 10% off recommended board books from our BabyTime! basket on the day.
Date: Wednesdays, 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th January
Time: 10.30-11.00am
Place: Downstairs at Everybody Reads
Fee: FREE
Register: no pre-booking required, just turn up!
Children's Group: StoryTime!
For children over 2 (and their grown-ups)
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Join us as we read 3 picture books we love. 10% off any of the books we read on the day.
Date: Saturdays, 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st January
Time: 10.30-11.00am
Place: Downstairs at Everybody Reads
Fee: FREE
Register: no pre-booking required, just turn up!
Keep Sharing your Book Recommendations
and Win Free Books!
We’ve been enjoying speaking with the ‘Wild Readers of Chiswersmith' (pictured along the top of this page) and sharing their thoughts on what they are reading with you.
Congratulations to Gabe, one of our September Wild Readers and the winner of our September Free Book Draw. He won £20 in free books!
In addition to our Wild Reader recommendations, we have had a number of book recommendations submitted to us through our website. Many of these are now on our shelves, displayed with an accompanying customer review.
Thanks so much to everyone who has shared a recommendation with us so far and do, please, continue to do so - you might just be our next free book winner! Submit your book recommendations and reviews here.