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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260226T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260226T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20251211T160016Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251210T153245Z
UID:10001517-1772134200-1772134200@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Rhian Siôn: Gyda'n Gilydd (GRIFFIN BOOKS AFTER HOURS)
DESCRIPTION:We’re delighted to be hosting the launch event for local author Rhian Siôn’s debut novel\, Gyda’n Gilydd. Rhian will be in conversation with BBC Radio Cymru 2 presenter and singer\, Lisa Angharad. Join us for the perfect bookish evening. This is a Welsh-language event. \nGyda’n Gilydd\nMae Alys a Saffi yn ffrindiau gore oes ond ers i Alys gael babi\, does ganddyn nhw ddim llawer yn gyffredin. Ond pan ddaw Elina\, mam newydd arall i’w bywydau’n annisgwyl\, mae’r tair yn sylweddoli bod heriau bywyd yn haws wrth iddyn nhw eu wynebu gyda’i gilydd. Stori dwymgalon am chwaeroliaeth a’r angen am gymuned i fagu babi. \nAlys and Saffi have been lifelong friends\, but since Alys had a baby\, they don’t have much in common. But when Elina\, another new mother\, unexpectedly enters their lives\, the three realise that life’s challenges are easier to face together. A heartfelt story about sisterhood and the need for a community to raise a baby. \nRhian Sion\nMae Rhian Siôn yn awdur ac athrawes sy’n angerddol am adrodd streon. Gyda gradd yn y Gymraeg mae Rhian wedi ysbrydoli meddyliau ifanc drwy ysgrifennu i blant\, ei gwaith fel ymarferydd creadigol\, ac fel athrawes. Bellach\, mae’n dod a’i llais unigryw i ffuglen i oedolion gyda’i nofel gyntaf\, gan gyfuno ei diddordeb mewn llenyddiaeth gyfoes a’i phrofiad fel mam. Pan nad yw’n ysgrifennu\, mae’n mwynhau bywyd ym Mhenarth gyda’i gŵr a’i dau fab ifanc\, gan dynnu ysbrydoliaeth o’r byd bywiog o’i chwmpas. \nRhian Siôn is a writer and teacher with a passion for storytelling. With a degree in Welsh\, she has inspired young minds through her children’s writing\, her work as a creative practitioner\, and her experience as a teacher. She now brings her unique voice to adult fiction with her debut novel\, blending her interest in contemporary literature with her experiences of motherhood. When she’s not writing\, she enjoys life in Penarth with her husband and two young sons\, drawing inspiration from the vibrant world around her. \nThis event is part of our new Griffin Books After Hours series of talks\, interviews and discussions\, which will take place in our newly expanded shop. \n***\nThursday 26 February | 7.30 pm\nGriffin Books\, 9-9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, CF64 1JB*\nTickets: £15.00 including a SIGNED copy of Gyda’n Gilydd (RRP: £9.99)** / £8.00 Event Only*** / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \nAll tickets include a glass of bubbly (or non-alcoholic alternative) on arrival. \n*IMPORTANT: Please be aware that the toilet at Griffin Books can only be accessed via three steps and so is not accessible for wheelchair users or people with mobility issues. Please contact us on info@griffinbooks.co.uk if this would prohibit you from attending. \n**Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.\n***There is a limited number of Event Only\, Inclusive and Student tickets available.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/rhian-sion-gydan-gilydd-griffin-books-after-hours/
LOCATION:Griffin Books\, Griffin Books
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260223T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260223T220000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20260117T160042Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260116T134811Z
UID:10001536-1771875000-1771884000@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:VIP Preview Party - Clare Mackintosh: 'It's Not What You Think'
DESCRIPTION:Are you ready for something a little bit different? We’re beyond excited to be hosting an exclusive VIP Preview Party for Clare Mackintosh’s hotly anticipated new book\, It’s Not What You Think. Join us in the shop for an intimate gathering in the company of one of the UK’s favourite crime writers as she introduces her twisty new thriller. \nWhat to expect \n– a drink and nibbles on arrival\n– themed merchandise and goodies\n– fun games to get the party going\n– plenty of time to mingle and chat with Clare \nAll VIP guests will also receive a SIGNED and dedicated copy of It’s Not What You Think when it’s published on Thursday 26 March. \nClare says: “My schedule around publication is always so busy that I’m often dashing off from events as soon as the signing queue has finished\, so I’m looking forward to having time to chat to readers properly at these special parties. Given my love of plot twists\, I am of course planning a few surprises for our VIP guests…”  \nThis is just one of two pre-order parties Clare will be hosting ahead of the book’s release\, and the only one taking place in Wales! Make sure you grab your ticket early\, as spaces are strictly limited. \nIt’s Not What You Think: \nYOU THINK YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE\nNadeeka is certain Jamie is having an affair. She knows the tell-tale signs. She’s been here before. \nYOU THINK YOU KNOW WHO YOU CAN TRUST\nWhen Jamie claims to be at work late\, she knows he’s lying. He’s with another woman\, and she’s determined to catch him in the act. \nYOU THINK YOU KNOW HOW THE STORY ENDS\nBut when Nadeeka arrives home to confront him\, Jamie can’t explain himself. The house has become a crime scene… Jamie is dead. \nIT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK… \nCLARE MACKINTOSH is a former police officer and a bestselling crime author. Her books have sold more than three million copies\, been optioned for television and translated into 40 languages. She appears regularly at literary festivals and bookshop events across the UK\nand beyond. \n*** \nPraise for It’s Not What You Think: \n‘I always see the twists coming – but not this time’ – LEE CHILD \n‘A nail-biter of a thriller’ – SHARI LAPENA \n‘An extraordinarily clever plot\, this was one of my favourite books of the year’ – ANDREA MARA \n‘Clare Mackintosh has done it again with another unguessable twist’ – ERIN KELLY \n‘The book everyone will be talking about … more twists and turns than an episode of Line of Duty’ – C.L. TAYLOR \n***\nMonday 23 February  | 7.30 pm\nGriffin Books\, 9-9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, CF64 1JB*\nTickets: £25.00 – Tickets include a SIGNED and personally dedicated copy of It’s Not What You Think (RRP £16.99 hardback)*\, a drink and nibbles on arrival\, plus themed merchandise. \n*Copies of It’s Not What You Think will be available to collect from publication day on 26 March. If you’re not able to collect your copy from the shop we can post it to your home address for no extra charge. Please add the Postage option when booking and provide your address when prompted. \nIMPORTANT ACCESS INFORMATION: Please be aware that the toilet at Griffin Books can only be accessed via three steps and so is not accessible for wheelchair users or people with mobility issues. Please contact us on info@griffinbooks.co.uk if this would prohibit you from attending.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/vip-preview-party-clare-mackintosh-its-not-what-you-think/
LOCATION:Griffin Books\, Griffin Books
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260211T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260211T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20251211T140028Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251210T152707Z
UID:10001516-1770838200-1770838200@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Brigid Lowe: The Bloody Branch (GRIFFIN BOOKS AFTER HOURS)
DESCRIPTION:Immerse yourself in a richly imagined world of myth\, magic\, and feminist storytelling with author Brigid Lowe\, as she discusses her new book The Bloody Branch\, a dark\, eco-gothic retelling of the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogion. \nThe Bloody Branch reimagines the stories of Blodeuwedd\, Arianrhod\, and Goewin through a fierce feminist and ecological lens\, bringing Wales’s national myths to life in a narrative charged with magic\, danger\, and ancient power. \nAs darkness spreads across the kingdom under the cruel ambition of the magician Gwydion\, three women must unite and unleash their most uncanny strengths to defend the land that binds them. Vital\, visceral and richly atmospheric\, Lowe’s novel is a story of desire\, revenge\, nature and female resilience\, casting an ancient light on themes that feel urgent and resonant today.\n\nBrigid Lowe grew up in a remote Welsh-speaking community on Ynys Môn with her Irish immigrant parents and younger sister. She now lives with her children in Yr Hen Ogledd — The Old North — once part of a shared Cumbric nation with Wales. She studied literature at Bangor\, completed her doctorate at Oxford\, and later taught at Sheffield and Cambridge Universities\, publishing widely on the art of fiction. Brigid descends from travellers\, circus performers\, mill workers and gallowglass warriors. She photographs flowers\, forages\, climbs pinnacles\, and swims in ice-cold waters\, caves and bottomless pools — a life steeped in the landscape that informs her fiction. \nThis event is part of our new Griffin Books After Hours series of talks\, interviews and discussions\, which will take place in our newly expanded shop. \n***\nWednesday 11 February  | 7.30 pm\nGriffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, CF64 1JB*\nTickets: £20.00 including a SIGNED hardback copy of The Bloody Branch (RRP £16.99)** / £8.00 Event Only*** / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n*IMPORTANT: Please be aware that the toilet at Griffin Books can only be accessed via three steps and so is not accessible for wheelchair users or people with mobility issues. Please contact us on info@griffinbooks.co.uk if this would prohibit you from attending. \n**Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.\n***There are a limited number of Event Only\, Inclusive and Student tickets available.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/brigid-lowe-the-bloody-branch-griffin-books-after-hours/
LOCATION:Griffin Books\, Griffin Books
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260205T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260205T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20250821T150318Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250922T121113Z
UID:10000671-1770319800-1770319800@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Val McDermid: Silent Bones
DESCRIPTION:One of the UK’s most accomplished and respected novelists\, number one bestseller Val McDermid is coming to Penarth for a special evening to celebrate the release of her new Karen Pirie thriller\, Silent Bones. With more than 19 million books sold worldwide and translations in over 40 languages\, Val’s gripping and intelligent crime fiction has earned her a devoted global readership. \nSILENT BONES:\nWhen torrential rain causes a landslide on a motorway in Scotland\, it reveals a crime scene: someone hid a body in the tarmac eleven years before. Journalist Sam Nimmo had been the prime suspect in the murder of his fiancée when he disappeared\, and now DCI Karen Pirie and her Historic Cases Unit must find out who buried him\, and why. Meanwhile\, in Edinburgh\, new evidence reopens a closed case\, and the accidental death of a hotel manager starts to look like murder. \nBut what did Tom Jamieson’s book club have to do with his demise – and what will they do to keep their secrets? Karen and her team begin to untangle a web of lies\, one which connects their murder cases with Scotland’s rich and powerful. They will be tested to their limits – and possibly beyond… \nVal McDermid has written five series of crime novels including eight featuring cold case detective Karen Pirie\, with Karen now starring in a major ITV series\, and eleven books with clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan which were adapted for television as Wire in the Blood\, starring Robson Green and Hermione Norris. Val has also published several award-winning standalone novels\, books of non-fiction\, short story collections and a children’s picture book\, My Granny is a Pirate. Her new Karen Pirie novel\, Silent Bones\, publishes in October 2025. \nVal has won multiple international awards\, including the CWA Gold Dagger\, the LA Times Book of the Year Award and the Grand Prix des Romans D’Aventure. She is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Society of Edinburgh and has been a judge for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Man Booker Prize\, as well as chairing the Wellcome Book Prize in 2017. She is the recipient of seven honorary doctorates\, is an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College\, Oxford and a Professor at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Val is also lead singer of the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers\, a rock band who have performed at Glastonbury.  She lives in Edinburgh and the East Neuk of Fife. \n***\n5th February 2026 | 7.30 pm\nThe Paget Rooms\, Penarth \nTickets: £28.00 includes a SIGNED hardback copy of Silent Bones (RRP: £22.00)* / £12.00 Event Only** / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n*Any book not collected at the event will be held at Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.\n** There are a limited number of Event Only tickets available.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/val-mcdermid-silent-bones/
LOCATION:Paget Rooms Penarth\, Paget Rooms Penarth
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260127T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260127T140000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20251211T120011Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251210T152154Z
UID:10001515-1769522400-1769522400@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Tea and Cake with Jennifer Niven
DESCRIPTION:Join us for the perfect winter pick-me-up: tea\, homemade cake\, and a captivating afternoon with bestselling author Jennifer Niven as she shares the story behind her richly layered new novel\, Meet the Newmans. What’s not to love?! \nFunny\, big-hearted\, and deeply moving\, Meet the Newmans is a vibrant family story about the dual realities we all live – even when our lives aren’t broadcast to millions. Because everyone has a behind-the-scenes.\n\nMeet the Newmans\nFor twenty years\, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons\, Guy and Shep\, have ruled American television as “America’s Favourite Family.” Every week\, millions tune in to watch flawless\, black-and-white versions of the Newmans play out a perfectly curated domestic dream. But it’s 1964\, and the world is changing — fast. The family’s polished image is starting to look painfully outdated. Ratings are collapsing. And behind the scenes\, the Newmans themselves are beginning to unravel. \nDel is hiding an explosive secret from his wife. Dinah is slowly — and quite literally — going numb. Dependable Guy is concealing the truth about his love life\, while rock’n’roll favourite Shep may finally have pushed things too far. When Del\, the creative force behind the show\, is involved in a mysterious car accident\, Dinah decides to take control. She hires Juliet Dunne\, an outspoken young reporter\, to help her craft the family’s final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different ideas about what it means to be a woman in 1964. As tensions rise\, one question looms: can the Newmans hold it together long enough to change television history\, or will they be cancelled before they even get the chance?\n\nJennifer Niven is a number one New York Times and internationally bestselling author of fiction and non-fiction\, including the global breakout All the Bright Places\, which she adapted for the Netflix film starring Elle Fanning and Justice Smith. Her books have been translated into more than seventy-five languages and have earned awards around the world. \n***\nTuesday 27 January | 2.00 pm for tea and cake (events starts at 2.30 pm) \nAll Saints Church\, Victoria Square\, Penarth\nTickets: £25.00 including tea and cake\, plus a SIGNED hardback copy of Meet the Newmans (RRP: £18.99)* / £15.00 Event only\, including tea and cake \n*Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.\n*There are a limited number of Event Only tickets available for this event.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/tea-and-cake-with-jennifer-niven/
LOCATION:All Saints Church Penarth\, All Saints Church Penarth
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260126T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260126T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20251211T100018Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251210T151710Z
UID:10001514-1769455800-1769455800@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Oliver Bullough: Everybody Loves Our Dollars (GRIFFIN BOOKS AFTER HOURS)
DESCRIPTION:Spend an evening in the company of one of Britain’s leading investigative journalists Oliver Bullough as he discusses his latest book\, Everybody Loves Our Dollars: How Money Laundering Won – a wildly entertaining exposé of the dark financial secrets at the heart of the global economy. \nThis event is part of our new Griffin Books After Hours series of talks\, interviews and discussions\, which will take place in our newly expanded shop.\n\nEverybody Loves Our Dollars: How Money Laundering Won: \nWithout the existence of money laundering\, few crimes of acquisition would be worth the trouble. South America’s drug cartels would be stranded without it\, as would Nigerian kleptocrats\, Afghan terrorists\, American tax evaders\, and a whole bestiary of human (and animal) traffickers the world over. And yet\, estimates of the dirty portion of world GDP have held steady at 2–5% for decades. All efforts at legislation\, diplomacy\, prosecution\, and compliance have been a complete flop. It’s not a lack of will to stamp it out -it’s a lack of insight. \nIn Everybody Loves Our Dollars\, Bullough takes readers on a perspective-altering adventure through the flipside of the global economy\, revealing why the system works so well for those who exploit it and why it’s time for that to change. \nOliver Bullough is the author of the Sunday Times bestsellers Butler to the World and Moneyland\, as well as two acclaimed books about the former Soviet Union: The Last Man in Russia and Let Our Fame Be Great. His journalism appears regularly in The Guardian\, The New York Times\, and GQ. \n***\nMonday 26 January | 7.30 pm\nGriffin Books\, 9–9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, CF64 1JB*\nTickets: £30.00 including a SIGNED copy of Everybody Loves Our Dollars (Hardback RRP £25.00)** / £8.00 Event Only*** / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n*IMPORTANT: Please be aware that the toilet at Griffin Books can only be accessed via three steps and so is not accessible for wheelchair users or people with mobility issues. Please contact us at info@griffinbooks.co.uk if this would prohibit you from attending. \n**Any book not collected at the event will be held at Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.\n***There are a limited number of Event\, Inclusive and Student tickets available.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/oliver-bullough-everybody-loves-our-dollars-griffin-books-after-hours/
LOCATION:Griffin Books\, Griffin Books
CATEGORIES:Community Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/ptcmedia/uploads/Facebook-Templates-1-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260119T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260119T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20251210T180054Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251210T151407Z
UID:10001513-1768851000-1768851000@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Lisa Jewell: Don't Let Him In
DESCRIPTION:What happens when the man who seems perfect in every way slowly begins to unravel your life from the inside?\n\nLisa Jewell\, the queen of the psychological thriller\, returns with Don’t Let Him In\, an addictive\, chilling tale of love\, manipulation\, and the danger of welcoming the wrong person into your home – and your heart. We are beyond thrilled to welcome Lisa to Penarth this January to celebrate the paperback release of her latest pulse-pounding bestseller. \nHe appears attentive. Devoted. Almost too good to be true. Before long\, he’s living in your house\, sharing your bed\, and entwining himself into every corner of your world. And then he starts disappearing for days at a time. No explanations. No answers. No remorse. Only later do you realise what you would have told yourself from the very beginning: \nJewell delivers a masterclass in suspense\, weaving a story that is both deeply unsettling and impossible to put down. With her trademark precision\, she exposes the dark charm of a man who knows exactly how to make himself indispensable\, and how to destroy you when you no longer are. \nWe’re expecting this to be super popular\, book tickets early to avoid disappointment. \nLisa Jewell is one of the world’s best-selling and most beloved thriller writers. Since her breakout debut Ralph’s Party in 1999\, she has published twenty-two novels including Then She Was Gone\, The Family Upstairs\, and None of This Is True. Her books have sold over twelve million copies and been translated into more than thirty languages. Lisa lives in north London with her family\, a Romanian rescue dog named Daisy\, and a decidedly chaotic orange cat called Ivy. \n***\nMonday 19 January | 7.30 pm\nAll Saints Church\, Victoria Square\, Penarth\nTickets: £18.00 including a signed paperback copy of Don’t Let Him In (RRP: £9.99)* / £12.00 Event Only** / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket / £5.00 Student Ticket \n*Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.\n** There are a limited number of Event Only\, Inclusive and Student Tickets available for this event.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/lisa-jewell-dont-let-him-in/
LOCATION:All Saints Church Penarth\, All Saints Church Penarth
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251210T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251210T210000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20251118T170026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251118T140724Z
UID:10000714-1765395000-1765400400@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Christmas Crime with Simon McCleave
DESCRIPTION:Celebrate the festive season with a chilling new case for DI Ruth Hunter. Bestselling crime writer Simon McCleave will join us for our annual Christmas Crime event\, where he’ll discuss his latest heart-pounding thriller\, The Bala Lake Killings – a story of murder\, betrayal and a deadly pursuit across North Wales. Tickets include a glass of bubbly and a mince pie to get us all feeling suitably festive. \nTHE BALA LAKE KILLINGS:\nA local MP is brutally murdered by a far-right extremist gang in Snowdonia. When DI Ruth Hunter and DS Nick Evans arrest one of the killers\, Raymond Clarke\, he agrees to give evidence – on the condition that he and his family are placed in protective custody. Ruth believes they’ll be safe in the remote wilds near Bala Lake. \nBut when the location of the safe house is leaked and Clarke’s family is kidnapped\, Ruth and her team are thrust into a desperate chase across North Wales. As the gang closes in\, they must uncover the source of the betrayal before it’s too late. \nSimon McCleave is a multimillion-selling crime novelist and screenwriter. Originally from London\, he now lives in North Wales with his wife and two children. Before turning to novels\, Simon worked in London and LA on hit films and series including The Full Monty\, Silent Witness\, The Bill and Murder in Suburbia. His hugely popular DI Ruth Hunter series has sold millions worldwide and is set to become a major television drama\, with filming of Snowdonia beginning in autumn 2025. His new Marshal of Snowdonia series\, launched earlier this year\, has already become a bestseller. \n***\nWednesday 10 December | 7.30 pm\nGriffin Books\, 9-9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, CF64 1JB*\nTickets: £12.00 Event Only (to include a glass of bubbly on arrival and a mince pie) / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n*IMPORTANT: Please be aware that the toilet at Griffin Books can only be accessed via three steps and so is not accessible for wheelchair users or people with mobility issues. Please contact us on info@griffinbooks.co.uk if this would prohibit you from attending. \nBOOK NOW: GriffinBooksEvents.co.uk
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/christmas-crime-with-simon-mccleave/
LOCATION:Griffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, Griffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth
CATEGORIES:Community Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/ptcmedia/uploads/Newsletter-image-1000x5251-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251208T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251208T210000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20251119T120038Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251118T142714Z
UID:10000716-1765222200-1765227600@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Griffin Books | R. F. Kuang: Katabasis
DESCRIPTION:Join us in Penarth for an evening with R. F. Kuang\, the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Babel and global phenomenon Yellowface\, as she discusses her dazzling new novel Katabasis before taking audience questions. \nKatabasis (“descent to the underworld”) follows graduate student Alice Law\, who must journey to Hell with her rival Peter Murdoch to retrieve her dead mentor. But Hell is stranger and more perilous than imagined—and its greatest threat may be each other. A darkly funny and fiercely original story of ambition\, obsession\, and unexpected love\, Katabasis is one of 2025’s most anticipated novels. \n📅 Monday 8 December | 7.30 pm\n📍 The Paget Rooms\, Penarth \n🎟️ £30 (includes SIGNED hardback\, tote bag + pin badge) | £15 Event Only | £5 Inclusive\nBooks are pre-signed; no dedications.\nSuitable for ages 14+. \n👉 Book now: GriffinBooksEvents.co.uk
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/griffin-books-r-f-kuang-katabasis/
LOCATION:Paget Rooms Penarth\, Paget Rooms Penarth
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251203T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251203T210000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20251118T150027Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251118T135833Z
UID:10000713-1764790200-1764795600@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Cosy Christmas: Writing Romance with Beth Reekles\, Chloe Ford and Jack Strange
DESCRIPTION:If you’re looking for the ultimate festive book event\, then we’ve got the perfect winter warmer for you! We are thrilled to be hosting our first Christmas Romance event at the Griffin Book shop – an evening of cosy stories\, sizzling romance\, and seasonal cheer with the delightful trio of Beth Reekles\, Chloe Ford and Jack Strange. \nIt Won’t Be Christmas Without You by Beth Reekles. From the bestselling author of The Kissing Booth comes her debut adult fiction: the story of twin sisters with very different lives – one a Christmas obsessive\, the other a workaholic – who must face chaos to rediscover what the holiday really means. \nHouse Party by Chloe Ford. A sizzling\, slow-burn romance set over New Year’s Eve. When Hattie finds herself stuck in a snowed-in cabin with her best friend’s older brother – the one she’s secretly loved for fifteen years – sparks fly. \nLook Up\, Handsome by Jack Strange. A charming\, queer romcom set in Hay-on-Wye\, where Quinn is fighting to save his beloved bookshop just as brooding novelist Noah Sage blows into town. With snow\, forced proximity\, small-town gossip and a dash of holiday magic\, this is the cosy Christmas romance you’ve been waiting for. \nWednesday 3 December | 7.30 pm Griffin Books\, Penarth Tickets: From £5.00 BOOK NOW: GriffinBooksEvents.co.uk
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/cosy-christmas-writing-romance-with-beth-reekles-chloe-ford-and-jack-strange/
LOCATION:Griffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, CF64 1JB\, Griffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, CF64 1JB
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251120T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251120T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20250924T130004Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251111T161934Z
UID:10000688-1763667000-1763667000@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Menna Elfyn: Parch
DESCRIPTION:Don’t miss this special evening with the brilliant Menna Elfyn – one of Wales’s foremost poets – to celebrate the publication of Parch\, her powerful and deeply moving new collection exploring respect\, compassion\, and the triumph of kindness in a fractured world. \nParch is a landmark publication for Menna and the first to include poems written directly in English\, as well as in her own translation. \nParch:\nIn Welsh\, parch (with a guttural ‘ch’) simply means respect. This stunning collection of poems gives voice to those whose liberty or dignity has been undermined\, calling for religious\, linguistic and cultural tolerance while confronting the effects of (in)humanity on our environment\, our histories\, and our lives.\n\nAmong these are powerful poems responding to sexual harassment\, exploitation and violence against women\, and to the plight of people caught up in armed conflicts past and present. Mercy is a recurring theme\, with poems exploring the tension between justice and forgiveness.\nMenna Elfyn shares Nobel laureate Herta Müller’s belief that ‘holding one’s own language up to the eyes of another leads to a solid relationship\, a relaxed kind of love’. This distils the essence of ‘Parch‘: respect as refuge\, and compassion as a force for transformation.\n\nMenna Elfyn is a major figure in contemporary Welsh poetry – she is the best-known\, most travelled and most translated of all Welsh-language poets. Her work has been translated into more than eighteen languages\, and her voice is by turns challenging and compassionate\, unafraid of joy and full of the energies of community. She has published five previous dual-language books of poetry with Bloodaxe\, including the Poetry Book Society Recommended Translation Murmur. Parch is her sixth poetry collection from Bloodaxe\, and her first to include poems written directly in English as well as in her own translation. \n***\nThursday 20 November\n7.30 pm (doors open 7.00 pm)\nGriffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth \nTickets: £18.00 including a SIGNED copy of Parch (Hardback RRP: £12.99)* / £10.00 Event Only / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n*Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/menna-elfyn-parch/
LOCATION:Griffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, Griffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251106T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251106T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20250924T100027Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250924T081552Z
UID:10000687-1762457400-1762457400@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Gosia Buzzanca: There She Goes\, My Beautiful World
DESCRIPTION:Spend an evening exploring the meaning of ‘home’ with local author Gosia Buzzanca. Gosia will be in conversation with fellow author and communications professional Jade E. Bradford\, about her stunning new memoir\, There She Goes\, My Beautiful World. \n***\nWhat does ‘home’ mean? Is it where you come from\, or something you must build for yourself\, brick by brick\, from the ruins and treasures of everything that came before? \nIn this compelling memoir\, Gosia Buzzanca tells the story of leaving Poland at nineteen in search of a bigger life\, hoping to leave the traumas of her teenage years behind. After studying in England\, she finds a rich new tapestry of experience awaiting her in Wales – love\, literature\, motherhood\, and the challenge of making peace with the past so that this new life by the sea can finally feel like home. \nWritten with the fearless honesty of a poet\, this is a story for anyone who has ever felt lost or incomplete\, and who yearns to find the place where they truly belong.\n\nGosia Buzzanca was born in Poznań\, Poland and moved to the UK in 2008. She earned a Creative Writing MA with distinction and was the recipient of the W&A Working-Class Writers’ Prize (2022) before being selected for the Hay Festival Writers at Work programme in 2025. Her writing has been praised as “warm and vibrant”\, “poetic and electrifying”\, and “fearlessly tender”. She lives in Barry\, South Wales\, where she is working on her first novel. \nJade E. Bradford is an author and communications and engagement professional based in South Wales. Her short fiction\, often concerned with place and belonging\, has been published in Wasafiri\, Breadfruit Magazine\, and Rowayat. Her work has been longlisted for the 2025 4th Estate and Guardian 4thWrite Prize\, won the 2024 Breadfruit Magazine Prize\, and was highly commended in the 2023 Faber FAB Prize for Children’s Literature. She has been selected for the Literature Wales Representing Wales cohort (2023/24)\, Black British Book Festival Writers on the Rise (2024)\, and Hay Festival Writers at Work (2025). \n***\nThursday 6 November | 7.30 pm\nGriffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, CF64 1JB*\nTickets: £20.00 including a SIGNED hardback copy of There She Goes\, My Beautiful World (RRP £16.99)* / £8.00 Event Only / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n*IMPORTANT: Please be aware that the toilet at Griffin Books can only be accessed via three steps and so is not accessible for wheelchair users or people with mobility issues. Please contact us on info@griffinbooks.co.uk if this would prohibit you from attending. \n*Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/gosia-buzzanca-there-she-goes-my-beautiful-world/
LOCATION:Griffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, Griffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251023T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251023T190000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20250923T150046Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250923T082609Z
UID:10000686-1761246000-1761246000@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Ted Kravitz: F1 Insider
DESCRIPTION:Step into the fast lane of Formula 1 with Sky Sports pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz as he takes you beyond the grid and into the heart of the sport’s most unforgettable moments. In his first book\, F1 Insider: Notes from the Pit Lane\, Ted looks back over nearly 30 years in Formula 1\, reliving the weird\, wonderful and extraordinary stories that shaped the modern era of racing. With his trademark ‘Notebook’ style\, he reveals what really happened behind the cameras – from the chaos of the garages to the politics of the podium.\n\nF1 Insider: Notes from the Pit Lane:\n\nExpect stories that range from the hilarious – Murray Walker in an air stewardess uniform\, serving champagne mid-flight – to the defining controversies of the sport\, including Ferrari’s infamous team orders in 2002\, Renault’s ‘Crashgate’ scandal\, and McLaren’s ‘Spygate’ espionage controversy. Ted also reflects on the champions who changed the game: the determination of Michael Schumacher\, the genius of Lewis Hamilton\, the brilliance of Alonso\, Vettel and Verstappen\, and the fresh energy of Leclerc\, Norris\, Sainz and Piastri.\n\nF1 Insider isn’t just about racing. It’s about the people behind the machines\, the human emotions that spill over in moments of triumph and despair\, and the drama that you didn’t see on your screen.Ted Kravitz is one of Formula 1’s most experienced and respected pit lane reporters. Over nearly three decades\, he has worked with ITV\, the BBC\, Channel 4 and Sky Sports\, reporting on four BAFTA award-winning programmes and becoming an institution in the sport through his much-loved ‘Ted’s Notebook’. His ability to explain complex technical details while capturing the high-stakes emotion of the paddock has made him a fan favourite. \nAn event not to be missed! \n***\nThursday 23 October | 7.00 pm\nThe Paget Rooms\, Penarth \nTickets: £30.00 includes a SIGNED hardback copy of F1 INSIDER (RRP: £22.00)* / £15.00 Event Only** / £10.00 Student or Child Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n*Any book not collected at the event will be held at Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.\n** There are a limited number of Event Only tickets available. \n\n\n\nEvent Details\nStarts at 7:00PM
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/ted-kravitz-f1-insider/
LOCATION:Paget Rooms Penarth\, Paget Rooms Penarth
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251021T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251021T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20250821T145859Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T090839Z
UID:10000670-1761075000-1761075000@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Philippa Gregory: Boleyn Traitor
DESCRIPTION:Join Philippa Gregory\, as she takes you on a journey through the history you thought you knew. In her new novel\, Boleyn Traitor\, she returns to the Tudor court and a woman famously branded as a traitor\, but whose real story was far more complex – the mysterious Jane Boleyn. Bringing the Boleyn traitor out of the shadows\, this is an explosive story of one woman’s survival in the deadly dance of the Tudor Court. It will be a fascinating evening of entertaining historical insight and unforgettable storytelling. \nBoleyn Traitor:\nSister. Liar. Witness. Spy. Traitor? Her secrets shaped a kingdom. The truth will change history.\n\nJane Boleyn watches from the shadows of the Tudor court. Where nothing is more powerful than a secret. And power rests on the edge of a tyrant King’s sword.\n\nShe wears many masks – loving wife\, devoted sister\, and obedient spy. It’s what a woman must do to survive. The only weapon she has is her voice.\n\nThey say Jane’s whispers sealed the fate of two queens. They called her a liar and a traitor. But the truth is far more dangerous… \n***\nDr Philippa Gregory: Dr Philippa Gregory is an internationally renowned historian and novelist. She holds a PhD in eighteenth-century literature at the University of Edinburgh and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff\, an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck University of London and she was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her services to literature and to charity. Her novels have been adapted for stage and screen and in 2023 she published her ground-breaking history book\, ‘Normal Women’ – 900 Years of Making History\, which was also released as a podcast\, a teen edition and a series for young children.\n\nTuesday 21 October | 7.30 pm\nStanwell School Auditorium\, Archer Road\, Penarth\, CF64 2XL\nTickets: £30.00 including a signed hardback copy of ‘Boleyn Traitor’ (RRP £25.00)** / £15.00 Event Only* / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/philippa-gregory-boleyn-traitor/
LOCATION:Stanwell School Penarth\, Stanwell School Penarth
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251015T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251015T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20250821T145538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T090423Z
UID:10000669-1760556600-1760556600@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:An evening of poetry and music with Sophie Buchaillard and friends
DESCRIPTION:Poetry meets performance in this intimate evening marking the release of Sophie Buchaillard’s debut collection\, Painting Over the Cracks. Blending personal experience with poetic insight\, Sophie’s pamphlet traces a journey through trauma\, motherhood\, and healing\, where community\, friendship\, and creative expression offer ways to mend what lies beneath the surface. \nSophie will be joined by special guests: award-winning poet Mab Jones and folk singer Siobhan McCrudden. Together with these three artists\, we invite you to a night that celebrates resilience and the strength found in sharing stories. \n***\nPainting Over the Cracks is novelist Sophie Buchaillard’s poetry debut. Inspired by her life\, this pamphlet explores the healing power of expression\, friendship\, and community in overcoming trauma. Split into four chronological sections\, the pamphlet travels from the anxieties of a single mother to memories of buried traumas and how unspoken shame has a way to colour every interaction\, fraying family ties\, and making it hard to fully engage with the world. Poetry\, here\, becomes a means of articulating the unspoken\, claiming back a sense of community\, and recognising the strength that comes from friendship without judgment. \nSophie Buchaillard: Sophie is the author of two novels and a dozen essays. Her second novel\, Assimilation\, was described by cultural critic Jon Gower as “thriller meets magic realism”. Her first novel\, This Is Not Who We Are\, was shortlisted for the Rhys Davies Trust Fiction Award and the Wales Book of the Year. \nShe has written extensively about the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda and also contributed essays to three collections: Woman’s Wales? about women and devolution; An Open Door: New Travel Writing for a Precarious Century\, about modern travel writing; and the COVID-themed collection Together and Apart. \nAfter attending the Hay Festival in 2023 as a Writer at Work and benefitting from the mentoring of inspiring poets\, she went home and exclusively read poetry for a year. Not knowing what she was doing\, she simply wrote\, exploring family relationships at first\, letting herself being led by the words. In that sense\, she fell into poetry\, and poetry wouldn’t let go. Painting Over the Cracks is the result\, a debut pamphlet about the healing power of expression\, friendship\, and community in overcoming trauma – its title poem was shortlisted for the International Bridport Poetry Prize in 2024.\n\nMab Jones: Mab is a multi-award-winning writer and performer whose work spans the UK\, US\, France\, Ireland\, and Japan. Her poetry collections include 111 Haiku for Lockdown\, The Land That Grew Me (Selcouth Station Prize winner)\, Yubitsume\, Poor Queen\, and the recent mythological wetlands memoir Bog Witch. She has written for The New York Times\, presented BBC poetry programmes (including two Radio 4 Pick of the Week choices)\, and taught at Cardiff University. Mab has received accolades including the John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry\, the Aurora Prize\, and a Creative Wales Award. \nSiobhan McCrudden: Described as “a singer who is gifted with one of the finest voices in contemporary UK folk music”\, Cardiff-based Siobhan crafts songs of intensity and sweetness\, recounting personal stories whilst reflecting a vivid fascination with dark folk tales and superstitions. Raised in London to parents with Scottish and Irish roots\, her vocal leanings reflect early memories of folk musicians at family gatherings and a strong desire to connect with these emotive beginnings. \n***\nWednesday 15 October | 7.30 pm (Doors at 7.00pm)\nPenarth Pier Pavilion\, Penarth\nTickets: £15.00 including a SIGNED copy of Painting over the Cracks (RRP: £10.00\, paperback)* / £10.00 Event Only** / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n*Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.\n** There are a limited number of Event Tickets available
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/an-evening-of-poetry-and-music-with-sophie-buchaillard-and-friends/
LOCATION:Penarth Pier Pavilion\, Penarth Pier Pavilion
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251002T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251002T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20250821T145117Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T085532Z
UID:10000668-1759433400-1759433400@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Oyinkan Braithwaite: Cursed Daughters
DESCRIPTION:It’s our pleasure to welcome Oyinkan Braithwaite to Penarth to celebrate the publication of Cursed Daughters – the hotly anticipated follow-up to her global bestseller My Sister\, the Serial Killer – a powerful new novel of broken hearts\, unbreakable curses\, and the dark pull of family legacy. \nCursed Daughters:\n\nNo man will call your house his home. And if they try\, they will not have peace…\n\nSo goes the family curse\, long handed down from generation to generation\, ruining families and breaking hearts. And now it’s Eniiyi’s turn – who\, due to her uncanny resemblance to her dead aunt\, Monife\, is already used to her family’s strange beliefs\, as well as their insistence that she is a reincarnation. Still\, when she falls in love with the handsome boy she saves from drowning\, she can no longer run from her family’s history.\n\nIs she destined to live out the habitual story of love and heartbreak\, or can she escape the family curse and the mysterious fate that befell her aunt?\n\nOyinkan Braithwaite: Oyinkan is a Nigerian-British novelist and writer. Her first novel\, My Sister\, The Serial Killer\, was published in 2018 to wide acclaim. It was a Sunday Times bestseller\, longlisted for The Booker Prize\, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction\, and won the Crime and Thriller Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2020. \n***\nThursday 2 October | 7.30 pm\nGlamorganshire Golf Club\, Penarth\nTickets: £25.00 including a SIGNED copy of Cursed Daughters (Hardback RRP: £18.99)* / £10.00 Event Only** / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n*Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.\n**There are a limited number of Event Only tickets available.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/oyinkan-braithwaite-cursed-daughters/
LOCATION:Glamorganshire Golf Club\, Glamorganshire Golf Club
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250922T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250922T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20250814T144334Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T084330Z
UID:10000666-1758569400-1758569400@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Joanna Page: LUSH!
DESCRIPTION:We’re thrilled to welcome Welsh actress and national treasure Joanna Page to Penarth to celebrate the publication of her memoir\, Lush! – a funny\, candid and endlessly surprising account of her journey from Swansea to stardom. \nWe can’t promise that you’ll find out what happened on *that* fishing trip\, but we can guarantee an unforgettable and totally lush night out! \n***\nFrom a small village on the outskirts of Swansea to the sets of Love Actually and Gavin & Stacey\, Joanna Page’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. In this heartfelt memoir\, Joanna shares her story in full for the first time – from awkward early auditions and chasing her big break\, to falling in love\, motherhood\, and emotional farewells to beloved roles. \nExpect behind-the-scenes stories with stars like Ruth Jones\, James Corden\, Emma Thompson and Johnny Depp\, plus honest reflections on life at RADA\, the madness of fame\, and finding your voice without losing yourself. This is a moving\, laugh-out-loud celebration of the messy\, magical moments that shape us. \nWe’re expecting this to be a very popular event\, so book early to avoid disappointment! \nJoanna Page was born in Swansea and attended her local comprehensive school before graduating from RADA in 1998. She spent a decade performing on stage with the Royal National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company\, before landing roles in major films such as From Hell\, Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger\, and Richard Curtis’ Love Actually. Joanna became a household name as Stacey Shipman in the BBC’s much-loved comedy Gavin & Stacey\, appearing in all three series\, the 2019 Christmas special\, and the final ever episode in 2024\, which became the UK’s most-watched scripted show since records began. \nAlongside her acting career\, Joanna regularly appears on TV as a presenter\, most recently fronting Joanna Page’s Wild Life for the BBC. When she’s not working\, she’s at home with her husband\, actor James Thornton\, their four children\, two dogs (Lola and Bess)\, and four guinea pigs.\nLush! is her first memoir. \n***\nMonday 22 September | 7.30 pm (Doors at 7.00pm)\nThe Paget Rooms\, Penarth \nTickets: £30.00 includes a SIGNED hardback copy of Lush! (RRP: £25.00)* / £15.00 Event Only* / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n*Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.\n**There are a limited number of Event Only tickets available for this event. \nPLEASE NOTE:\n– The balcony in this venue is not accessible to those unable to climb stairs. If you have additional accessibility needs please book a ticket in the ground floor seating area.\n– The minimum age of entry is 12-years-old.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/joanna-page-lush/
LOCATION:Paget Rooms Penarth\, Paget Rooms Penarth
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250903T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250903T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20250814T143946Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250902T155533Z
UID:10000661-1756927800-1756927800@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Cecelia Ahern: Paper Heart
DESCRIPTION:And perhaps in that big\, beautiful universe there’s someone waiting for her. If she can find the courage to open her heart. \nJoin us for an unforgettable evening with Cecelia Ahern – the international bestselling author of PS\, I Love You\, Where Rainbows End\, and Roar. We’re thrilled to welcome Cecelia to Penarth Pier Pavilion to discuss her tender and timely new novel Paper Heart – a luminous exploration of isolation\, resilience\, and the quiet bravery it takes to step back into the world. \nPaper Heart:\nPip’s world is small. But it’s about to become a whole lot bigger. \nFor years she’s tucked away her dreams\, shrinking herself into the space left behind – like the delicate origami she creates alone in her room.\nThen hope comes from an unlikely place: an astronomer from the local observatory. He teaches her to look up at the stars\, and to see a world far bigger and more beautiful than she ever imagined. \nAnd perhaps in that big\, beautiful universe there’s someone waiting for her. If she can find the courage to open her heart. \nPip never stopped dreaming\, but now it’s time for her to live – and maybe even to fall in love. \n*** \nCecelia Ahern is beloved by women across the globe for her utterly original and imaginative storytelling. Her novels cut to the heart of what matters to her readers\, underlining her novels with searing social commentary on the pressures of modern life. With tenderness and insight\, she offers a roadmap for how to overcome hard times. It’s no wonder that she has captured the hearts and minds of millions of readers.\nCecelia’s debut novel PS\, I Love You was an international bestseller and was adapted to film starring Hilary Swank. Her second novel\, Where Rainbows End\, was adapted into Love\, Rosie starring Lily Collins. Her books have been published in over thirty-seven languages\, and have sold over twenty-five million copies. In addition to her novels\, she is also the author of a highly acclaimed collection of stories\, Roar\, which is now an Apple Original series starring Nicole Kidman on Apple TV+.\n\nWednesday 3 September | 7.30 pm\nPenarth Pier Pavilion\, The Esplanade\, CF64 3AU\nTickets:  £25.00 including a signed hardback copy of ‘Paper Heart’ (RRP £20.00)* / £10.00 Event Only** / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n**Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.\n*There are a limited number of Event Only tickets available. 
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/cecelia-ahern-paper-heart/
LOCATION:Penarth Pier Pavilion\, Penarth Pier Pavilion
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250821T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250821T193000
DTSTAMP:20260607T235434
CREATED:20250814T134006Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250902T155531Z
UID:10000660-1755804600-1755804600@www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk
SUMMARY:Into the Wild with James Roberts and Jon Gower
DESCRIPTION:Come along to a special evening in the company of two remarkable nature writers\, James Roberts and Jon Gower\, as they explore our deep and enduring relationship with the natural world. \nIn Two Lights: Walking at Dawn and Dusk on a Turning Planet\, longlisted for the 2024 RSL Ondaatje Prize\, James Roberts charts a luminous journey through landscapes and loss. From the Cambrian Mountains to the Pacific Northwest\, his dawn and dusk walks become a meditation on grief\, connection\, and the quiet\, redemptive power of the wild. \nIn Birdland\, Jon Gower turns his keen journalist’s eye and lifelong passion for birdlife into a rich exploration of the birds that share our skies. From the delicate song of a wren to the drama of a murmuration\, he captures their wonder while confronting the urgent threats they face through climate change and habitat loss. \nTogether\, these books provide beauty and insight into what can be found when we pay close attention to the world around us. \nThis event is part of our Summer at Griffin Books programme. Events will take place in our newly extended shop on Penarth high street.\n\n***\nTwo Lights: Walking at Dawn and Dusk on a Turning Planet:\nLonglisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize 2024\, ‘Two Lights’ by James Roberts is a lyrical journey through landscapes and loss. From swans in the Cambrian Mountains to wolves in the Pacific Northwest\, Roberts finds solace and connection in the wild. Walking at dawn and dusk\, he moves through grief toward hope\, discovering a path back to life through encounters with the natural world. \nBirdland:\n‘Birdland’ by journalist and lifelong birder Jon Gower explores our deep connection with birds\, from the song of a wren to the spectacle of murmuration. Travelling across Britain in search of species like the wryneck and dotterel\, Gower celebrates birds as everyday miracles that have long inspired art and song\, yet he also confronts the decline in bird populations over the past 50 years\, examining the impacts of climate change and habitat loss. This is both a love letter to birdlife and a powerful call to protect it.\n\nJAMES ROBERTS is a writer and artist who lives in the hills of the Welsh Border country. His essays and poems have been published widely\, and his artwork has featured in several exhibitions\, books and theatre productions. He writes on Substack and shows work on Instagram as @nightriverwood. \n \nJON GOWER is a former BBC Wales arts and media correspondent who has over 40 books to his name. These include The Story of Wales\, which accompanied a landmark TV series\, the travelogue An Island Called Smith and Y Storïwr\, which won the Wales Book of the Year. \n***\nThursday 21 August | 7.30 pm\nGriffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, CF64 1JB*\nTickets: £8.00 Event Only / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket \n*IMPORTANT: Please be aware that the toilet at Griffin Books can only be accessed via three steps and so is not accessible for wheelchair users or people with mobility issues. Please contact us on info@griffinbooks.co.uk if this would prohibit you from attending. \nBoth titles are available for purchase at the event at a special discounted price.
URL:https://www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/into-the-wild-with-james-roberts-and-jon-gower/
LOCATION:Griffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, CF64 1JB\, Griffin Books\, 9A Windsor Road\, Penarth\, CF64 1JB
CATEGORIES:Community Events
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