In April, our very own book club series at Bel & The Dragon Churt, Delicious Reading with Melanie Whipman takes on "Overstory" by Richard Powers.
Delicious Reading is more than your average book club, Delicious Reading is an opportunity to meet other book-loving locals and a superb way to spend an evening - great food, glass of wine and an interactive discussion about good books lead by local author, Melanie Whipman.
Date & time: Tuesday 21st April at 7.30pm
Cost: £20 per person, includes supper & a glass of wine
Our first book: "Overstory" by Richard Powers
To join our book club please call 01428 605799 or email [email protected]
Melanie, an Associate Lecturer & PHD student at the University of Chichester, has a long career as a writer, editor and teacher. Her work has been broadcast to the nation on Radio 4, as well as being published in numerous magazines & anthologies. We are delighted that Melanie will be leading the discussion and we caught up with her to find out why she wanted to get involved in Delicious Reading.
Q: Tell us a little bit more about Delicious Reading
A: I was really pleased when Bel & The Dragon asked me if I’d like to be involved in a Book Club. I thought it was a fabulous idea. It combined two of my favourite things – great food and good books – and would also be an opportunity to meet other local people from the area.
Q: What makes it different from your average book club?
A: I’ve been a member of two book clubs over the past few years and while they’ve been fun and a great opportunity to read books I perhaps wouldn’t have chosen myself, I was a bit disappointed about the amount of time we spent on discussing the book. Often, several members of the group wouldn’t have had time to finish the book, or in some cases even have started it! And as everyone knew each other, the conversation would inevitably move on to the usual topics of gossip, schools, extensions, the latest Farrow and Ball colour palette etc…
Q: What are you most looking forward to about the book club?
A: I’m really looking forward to chatting about the book over a delicious meal from the Bel kitchens. I’m hoping we can have a lively discussion around themes, characterisation, structure etc. Also, the other book clubs were only women, so with an author like Richard Powers, I’ll be very interested to see whether there’s a difference of opinion with gender! And hopefully, no one will whip out a Farrow and Ball colour chart!
---------
*The featured book will be discussed on the evening and should be read prior to the event. Books available to purchase from Bel & The Dragon or Farnham Waterstones at a special rate. Advance booking & non-refundable £10 deposit per person required. Limited spaces.
Find out more about Melanie Whipman at www.melaniewhipman.com
