Just kidding. Potentially of interest to 3:AM readers, although some would disagree…
East End Promise: Writing the New London
Tarquin Hall, Melanie McGrath and Will Self
Wednesday 21 March, 7pm
London’s East End challenges writers with the multitude of its stories. Tarquin Hall is a British author and journalist who has lived and worked in much of South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the US. His book Salaam Brick Lane is a moving and humorous study of immigration in London’s melting pot and a reminder of the revitalizing effect foreigners have had on the city. Melanie McGrath is a journalist and writer, whose first book Motel Nirvana won the John Llewelyn-Rhys/Mail on Sunday award for Best New British Writer under 35. Her recently published memoir Silvertown tells the story of her family over three generations, beginning with the grandfather who sold eels and jellied custard to workmen from the docks. Writer and columnist Will Self’s novel The Book of Dave takes us to a post-apocalyptic London in which an East End cabbie’s rantings have become the inspiration for a new religion. These literary Londoners will be chaired by PEN’s Director Jonathan Heawood.
Time: 7.00pm
Tickets: £5.00 PEN Members / £7.00 non-members (includes a glass of wine after the talk)
Venue: The Guardian Newsroom, 60 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3GA
How to book: Call 020 7713 0023 or visit www.englishpen.org/events/
