EVENTS
Mon 28 OCT - ROUGH TRADE BOOKS PRESENTS... GOBLINHOOD LAUNCH EVENT
Get your goblin self down to The Social for our Halloween week launch of JEN CALLEJA’S latest masterpiece, Goblinhood: Goblin as a Mode featuring KIRTSY GUNNreading from her fantastic and occasionally disturbing collection of short stories Pretty Ugly. Artist and writer ABI PALMER brings us her brilliant Slugs: A Manifesto, and worm-charmer GEORGIA GENDALL completes the slime section of the show with chat and a film of her project The Worm Forgives The Plough.
Finally, JEN CALLEJA herself will be in conversation with author, critic and curator ANNA BOGUTSKAYA about her masterpiece of ‘Goblinology’.
We’ll also have music throughout from DJs ROB(L)IN and WRETCHED FEELINGS (RICHARD PHOENIX).
So come on down and enjoy the slippery, the slimey, and the green and the good of contemporary culture in the best bar in town!
WHEN: Monday 28th October, 7pm
WHERE: The Social, Little Portland St, London
TICKETS: BUY HERE
TUE 1 OCT - London Terrariums x Rough Trade Books presents… Tinyjohn Terrarium Workshop + An Evening with Kirsty Gunn
Be guided by the experts and make your own beautiful Tinyjohn Terrarium, while at the same time enjoying plant-based stories read by KIRSTY GUNN from her new collection Pretty Ugly. We’ll even throw in a tipple or two…
WHEN: Tuesday 1st October, 6.30pm
WHERE: At London Terrariums, 139 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 7DG
TICKETS: £55 (includes workshop, drinks + copy of Pretty Ugly by Kirsty Gunn) BUY HERE
FRI 21 JUNE - ROUGH TRADE BOOKS X VERDANT BREWING CO POETRY & MUSIC NIGHT
We’re absolutely stoked to be heading down to Cornwall to celebrate the publication of ELLA FREARS’ brilliant Goodlord in her own hometown and her editor WILL BURNS' latest offering Natural Burial Ground.
We’re teaming up with the brilliant Verdant brewery to throw an almighty party in their taproom with Ella reading from her brand new book alongside Will, who’ll be reading from his before we hit the dancefloor with DJs RUPERT MORRISON (Drift Records) and our very own NINA HERVÉ (Rough Trade Books)
It’s going to be a cracking night - so get involved!
WHERE: VERDANT BREWING CO, PENRYN, CORNWALL
WHEN: Friday 21st June 7pm
REGISTER FOR FREE ADMISSION... HERE
Tue 18 JUNE - GOODLORD BY ELLA FREARS LAUNCH PARTY
We’re throwing a launch party upstairs at London’s favourite bar to celebrate ELLA FREARS' new book Goodlord. Come on down, the price is right—it’s free admission if you register on Dice.
WHERE: UPSTAIRS AT THE SOCIAL, LITTLE PORTLAND ST, LONDON
WHEN: Tuesday 18th June 7pm
REGISTER FOR FREE ADMISSION... HERE
TUE 11 JUNE - PRETTY UGLY BY KIRSTY GUNN LAUNCH PARTY WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BRIAN COX & NICOLA ANSARI
An Evening of Performance, Discussion and Entertainment with actors BRIAN COX and NICOLE ANSARI reading from Pretty Ugly—the new collection of short stories by KIRSTY GUNN.
What makes a short story fun to read? Easy to dramatise? What is the real life secret, lie and truth of fiction?
We will be talking about these subjects and more in an exciting evening of dramatised story telling—with internationally acclaimed actors BRIAN COX and NICOLE ANSARI reading from KIRSTY GUNN'S new collection of short stories, Pretty Ugly and discussing with her the delights and horrors of bringing awful characters to life—in lovely ways.
WHERE: T.S. ELIOT LECTURE THEATRE, MERTON COLLEGE, OXFORD
WHEN: Tuesday 11th June at 5.15pm
REGISTER FOR FREE ADMISSION... HERE
MORE INFO... HERE
SAT 27 APRIL - WE'RE HAVING A PARTY AND YOU ARE INVITED: AN EVENING WITH ROUGH TRADE BOOKS AT QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL, SOUTHBANK CENTRE
Bringing together some of the most exciting talent in literature, music and art, this evening of culture curated by Rough Trade Books is a rare occasion to witness a multi-format celebration of independent writing and music.
The event features brand new animation work from MARCEL DZAMA, accompanied by live music and dance from dancer FRANCESCA THAKORLAL, as well as exciting new poetry from SHARAN HUNJAN, one of the 4 BROWN GIRLS WHO WRITE collective who shares work from her debut collection, Open Mouths.
Award-winning authors including MUSA OKWONGA and SALENA GODDEN read from their Rough Trade Books-published works, before the all-conquering SHEENA PATEL gives a reading from I’m A Fan alongside a new visual and sonic artwork composed by MARK LECKEY.
JARVIS COCKER talks us through the music that fed into his brilliant book Good Pop, Bad Pop while RICHARD PHOENIX discusses his non-fiction debut Do Your Own Thing before introducing the band ELECTRIC FIRE.
Craig Oldham’s In Loving Memory of Work is also presented with a miners’ strike film narrated by MAXINE PEAKE and a musical score by KEELEY FORSYTH, accompanied by a live vocal performance from GWENNO and WOMEN AGAINST PIT CLOSURES singers.
Expect surprises and entertainment throughout this evening to remember all hosted by the one and only LILY BLACKSELL.
WHERE: QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL, SOUTHBANK CENTRE, LONDON
WHEN: Saturday 27th April at 7pm
TICKETS & MORE INFO... HERE
WED 27 MARCH - ROUGH TRADE BOOKS PRESENTS... OPEN MOUTHS LAUNCH EVENT
We will be celebrating the brand new publication of Open Mouths by poet Sharan Hunjan and providing the chance to hear her perform live at a special night at the best bar in London, The Social, on Wednesday 27th March.
As well as Sharan Hunjan—who will read poems and be in-conversation with Amy Mae Baxter (Bad Form), there will also be a preview from Ella Frears of her forthcoming book Goodlord, poetry readings from Sanah Ahsan and short stories from RTB pamphleteer Cathy Thomas plus DJ Anna Wood playing all the best records, not forgetting special guest MC for the night, Sheena Patel.
WHERE: The Social, Little Portland Street, London
WHEN: Wednesday 27th March at 7pm
TICKETS & MORE INFO... HERE
WED 24 JAN - SUN 28 JAN - WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING (BUT WE DO KNOW WHY)... AN EXHIBITION OF PRINTED MATTER FOR THE COUNTER-CULTURE IN PARIS, FRANCE
**EXTENDED UNTIL 4TH FEBRUARY**
With a stated mission to bring the same irreverent, radical, original sensibility to the book publishing world that had long been synonymous with the musical legacy of Rough Trade Records, Rough Trade Books fully fledged five-ish years ago when Nina Hervé, designer Craig Oldham along with founders Geoff Travis and Jeannette Lee decided to embark on a full publishing programme. Starting with a series of pamphlets that covered a range of forms and genres—poetry, photography, fiction, illustration—the backlist has since grown into a who’s-who of UK literary stars as well as providing a home for a plethora of artists’ side interests, collaborations, experiments and all manner of other miscellaneous tidbits. Rough Trade Books has helped unearth brand new literary talent, has given established names a platform for work that didn’t fit elsewhere, has made books that fly in the face of all long-standing publishing rules of thumb. In short, they have said ‘yes’ when almost every other publisher would have said ‘no’ and in the process have created a unique and bold body of work that showcases the originality, diversity and imagination that is to be found on the margins of culture.
This exhibition gives the viewer a thrilling insight into that work, showing the evolution of the list, the connections that exist between artists and collaborators, the process behind the making of a Rough Trade Books book, and the spirit and personality that is the engine of the press. The small presses are the heartbeat of literary culture, and this exhibition lays bare the intricate workings of that heart, with examples of original artwork from the archive as well as exclusive insight from the designers, editors and writers behind one of the most exciting publishers out there (even if we do say so ourselves!)
On display at La Fab. 6-10 Place Jean-Michel Basquait, Paris 75013