Geraldine Peers and Cara Hunter 

Thursday 7 September 6.30pm, St Barnabas Church, Cardigan St, Jericho OX2 6BG

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Cara Hunter is a million-selling author whose crime books fly out of the bookshops. Her new novel, Murder in the Family, departs from her normal Oxford detective franchise. Already the film rights have been sold to Sam Mendes. Come and hear her discuss its genesis withGeraldine Peers, late of BBC Oxford.

Entry cost £5 cash, for the Church Pantry; more info from johnmair100@hotmail.com

Poetry and Medicine

Wednesday 3 October 6-8pm, Quaker Meeting House, 43 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LW

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A panel discussion with Oxford GP Dr Andrew Schuman, Cheltenham oncologist and poet, Samir Guglani and Oxford poet Hanne Busck-Nielsen, hosted by Jenny Lewis and Stephen Yeo, exploring concepts of illness/ wellness, loss, pain, recovery and more through the poetry of others – and your own. Followed by readings by the panellists and from the floor.

Free event, all welcome. More details from Jenny Lewis, jennyklewis@gmail.com

Not the Booker Prize

Thursday 23 November, 7 for 7.30pm, Wadham Room, King’s Arms, Broad Street, OX1 3SP

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In advance of the official announcement on Sunday 26 November, our panel of fiction readers will speak to each of the titles on the shortlist. Our audience then cast their votes in our regular light-hearted evening for fiction fans!

To propose a book or to join the audience, register with brendastones40@hotmail.com

Stories of Middle Way

Thursday 16 November, 6pm, Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, OX1 2JA

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Gareth Winrow’s new book, The Butcher, The Tailor, The Picture-Frame Maker… Stories of Middle Way, provides an alternative history of Oxford by following the stories of people connected with Middle Way in Summertown, where he lives. As both a social and economic history, this talk will also examine how Summertown evolved from being primarily an artisans’ village to today’s more affluent suburb of Oxford. Gareth read History at Keble College, gained a PhD from Manchester University, and worked for twenty years in Istanbul as Professor of International Relations. 

Free to all.

Book Launch

Wednesday 18 October 6.30pm, Clore Library, University Church of St Mary the Virgin, High Street, OX1 4BJ

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Scotland Street Press is delighted to invite you to the launch of Janet McGiffin’s Empress Irini series, a four-part historical fiction saga set in the Roman Empire of the East, centred on Irini of Athens, the only woman to rule in her own right in Roman and Byzantine history. RSVP to alex@scotlandstreetpress.com.

Sara Coleridge: the other damaged archangel

Friday 29 September 7pm start, The Old School Room, St Peter’s Church, First Turn, Wolvercote OX2 8AQ

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Sara Coleridge was more than the daughter of a damaged genius. She was a poet, diarist, translator, writer of the first otherworld fantasy and meticulous editor of her father’s opus. Dennis Hamley and Jane Spiro have confected an evening of readings to reveal the links between her life and milieu, her writing as poet and storyteller, and the ways we as writers have been inspired by her. They will include dramatised readings from both Sara’s prose and poetry, and from their own ways of bringing Sara alive through novel and poetic drama.

Followed by drinks at The Plough. 

Book now with brendastones40@hotmail.com

Musical Evening

Tuesday 26 September from 6pm, 26 Five Mile Drive, OX2 8HR

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WiO has celebrated the artists within our membership, and now it’s the turn of musicians! WiO member and artist Rosie Phipps is kindly offering her house and piano for the event. Please let us know what short piece you’d like to perform, solo or duet, and we’ll enjoy an evening programme of party pieces to celebrate our authors’ musical talents! Refreshments served at the interval. Write in with your suggested performance piece, or just come and listen.

Numbers limited, so enrol soon with brendastones40@hotmail.com.

Venice: Writer in Residence

Saturday 19 August 5pm, 28 Sunningwell Road, Oxford OX1 4SX

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New member Elke Heinemann has just returned from a fascinating year as Writer in Residence in Venice, and will tell us about her experiences, with readings from her recent work on Ezra Pound. Refreshments will be provided in her new garden. Book now with brendastones40@hotmail.com