Daunt Books Spring Festival 2020

With the sad news that Daunt Books' Fulham branch is closing, we're more motivated than ever to support independent bookshops. With its thoughtful curation, elegant oak panels and reliably knowledgeable staff, Daunt is a reminder of why we should ease the Amazon dependency and return to the High Street.

And the annual Spring Festival of talks and events, hosted in Daunt Books' flagship store in Marylebone, shows the power of independent booksellers to attract the great and the good of literary talent. This year's line up features writers from across fiction, politics and children's literature. Read on for Culture Whisper's highlights.

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Max Porter with Alua Down

Thursday 19 March, 7 - 8pm

Max Porter comes to Daunt to give a dramatic reading from Lanny, accompanied by folk duo Alua Down performing an experimental new score inspired by the text. His Man Booker Prize long-listed second novel is a feat of potency, poetry and strangeness. It tells the story of an English village where myth and reality merge through past and present. Playful typography makes words leap from the page, while a cacophony of voices draw you into the fable. The novel is about to get even bigger, as a film adaptation starry Rachel Weisz is in production.

Tickets are £10 and include a glass of wine and 20% discount on Max Porter's books. Click here to book.

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A Special Sophie Dahl Afternoon Tea by The Langham Hotel

Thursday 19 March, 4 - 5:30pm

Sophie Dahl reads from her delightful new book Madame Badobedah at this special afternoon provided byThe Langham Hotel and served up at Daunt Books Marylebone. Children aged 5 and up can tuck into finger sandwiches and cakes while enjoying the story of the flamboyant Madame come to life.

The event is free, but booking is essential to reserve each child’s place for tea. Click here to book.

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Caroline Criado Perez: Invisible Women

Friday 20 March, 7 - 8pm

Invisible Women is a trailblazing account of how systemic gender bias shapes everything from healthcare to urban planning. Caroline Criado Perez meticulously compiles data, case studies and original research to illustrate the extent to which women are overlooked and, in many cases, endangered in contemporary society. She comes to Daunt Books to discuss Invisible Women, which won the Royal Society's Science Book Prize and was named the Financial Times Business Book of the Year 2019.

Tickets are £10 and include a glass of wine and 20% discount on Invisible Women. Click here to book.

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Olivia Laing: Funny Weather

Friday 20 March, 8:30 - 9:30pm

Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency is a collection of essays that celebrates Olivia Laing's prolific writing on art and culture. Spanning punk rock to literary greats, Laing's essays each explore the idea of art as source of resolution or resistance in political turbulent times. Laing comes to Daunt Books to read from and reflect upon the essay collection.

Tickets are £10 and include a glass of wine and 20% discount on Olivia Laing's books. Click here to book.