Mad March

We kick off on Thursday March 3rd with World Book Day when we will be running a book fair for Yrs 7 and 8 during the day at Steyning Grammar School Church Street.

Meanwhile back at the shop children can bring their World Book Day vouchers to exchange for one of the special World Book Day books or to put towards the purchase of another book from our wide range of great childrens books.

On Saturday 5th at 11am we will be holding a free session of Stories From Around the World, plus a colouring competition for children and then at the end of the day we will be launching into World Book Night - a special evening when a million books will be given away throughout the land by book lovers who want to spread their enthusiasm.

Several people from the Steyning area, including myself, have been selected by the Booksellers’ Association to each give away 48 free copies of a book that they have chosen as one of their favourite reads. Fifteen of these givers have chosen to pick up their books from the bookshop and some of them will come for a photo-shoot and glass of wine at 5.30pm (members of the public also welcome) and set off on their way to donate these books to a wide range of people or groups.

Local school librarian Aly Thornton will be taking away 48 copies of A Fine Balance to hand out later to her planned recipients and David Starr will be doing the same with copies of The Spy Who came in From the Cold by John Le Carre. Claire Dodgson will be taking copies of CJ Sansom’s Dissolution to various homeless shelters in the area.

I also chose Dissolution (the start to a fantastic series of Tudor thrillers) and on the night will be taking some copies to give to participants at the Steyning Rotary Race Night which is in aid of the First Responders – a group that I personally am very grateful to and wish to support.

We have a few more book stalls here and there, then a deep breath, and Chanctonbury Children’s Writers’ Week will start on Monday March 21st. With St Andrews Primary School Head Chris Luckin we have arranged for seven award-winning children’s writers and illustrators to visit five local primary schools to work with the children and give them an insight into their world of books. There will be an opportunity for children to buy the books and have them personally signed by the authors in the schools and it will also be possible to get books signed after the visits at the bookshop. Please contact the bookshop nearer the date for the details.

And during that week adults will also have the opportunity to meet a very interesting author. Three local book clubs who have been reading the critically acclaimed novel The Rupture by Simon Lelic will be meeting him for a talk and discussion.

There may be a chance for other book lovers to join in this event, so for further details once again do contact the bookshop.
Sara Bowers

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