author events – Stanfords Blog

Author Event with André Rostant and Dom Joly

Last night we hosted a fascinating evening talking about André Rostant’s book The Muffin Man.

The Muffin Man is a frank exploration into the lives of those at the heart of bohemian Soho, told from the perspective of George, a fictional Big Issue Vendor in Soho. This story sheds a much needed light on the most pressing issues in society today and the still desperate need for change.

Dom Joly spoke to André about how his book is fiction but very much based on the lives of those who frequent Soho and about how communities in London can change so much that these people who have lived there their whole lives can be like tourists in their own areas.

Thank you to everyone who attended. We are donating all ticket proceeds and a percentage of book sales to the Big Issue.

If you were unable to attend this event but would like to make a donation to support the Big Issue, please click here

We have signed copies of The Muffin Man by André Rostant and The Conspiracy Tourist: Travels Through a Strange World by Dom Joly available while stocks last.

Author Talk: In the Footsteps of Smugglers by Georgina Howard

Last night we hosted a sold out talk with Georgina Howard who spoke about her new book In the Footsteps of Smugglers published by Bradt.

“It was the enigmatic mountain paths winding their way from one Basque village to the next along smugglers’ tracks and over humpback bridges that seduced us all…”

In 2022 Georgina Howard co-presented a programme on the Basque Pyrenees with Michael Portillo. This book is her travel memoir, ‘In the Footsteps of Smugglers’, about her life in a remote Basque hamlet of the Spanish Pyrenees. Twenty-five years ago, Georgina moved into an isolated barn in a tiny, close-knit community of Basque shepherds. Taking this eccentric British woman and single mother into the fold, her neighbours helped her raise her Basque/English daughter, Marion, transform her barn into an international walking and language company and introduce her deep into the enigmatic and little-known Basque mountain culture.

The story then follows Georgina’s footfall into the Spanish/French borderlands of the Pyrenees and the heart of the former Basque smuggling fraternity. She has guided people the world over along these smugglers’ trails and focused her research on the WW2 escape routes of the Comet Line that led Allied airmen out of occupied France in to Spain. Speaking Spanish, French and Basque, she has formed personal relationships with the last remaining members of this 1941 – 1944 resistance network – then mere children – and their stories of fear, courage and secrecy are documented in detail within the pages of her book. With the help of colourful vignettes and deep anthropological insight, ‘In the Footsteps of Smugglers’ digs deep behind the scenes into all things quintessentially Basque. It also offers a rhapsody in cultural identity as this cosmopolitan nomad, and single mother, finally turns to the Basque shepherds to find home.

In the Footsteps of Smugglers is available now for £10.99

Stanfords Event: Table Talk with Tiffany Murray and Travis Elborough

On Thursday we hosted the second of our Table Talks – which include wine, delicious nibbles and fabulous conversation around the table, talking about all things books, travel and life journeys.

We were thrilled to welcome authors Tiffany Murray and Travis Elborough talking about Tiffany’s new book My Family and Other Rock Stars sharing stories, recipes, songs and experiences, a fun evening not to be missed.

Author Talk: An Irishman in Northern Mesopotamia by Nicholas Mackey

It was a full house at Stanfords last night as we went on an extraordinary journey through south-east Türkiye with Nicholas Mackey and his new book An Irishman in Northern Mesopotamia .

Author Talk: ‘Daybreak in Gaza’ with Matthew Teller and Mahmoud Muna

Last night we hosted conversation with editors Matthew Teller and Mahmoud Muna talking about their new book Daybreak in Gaza, an incredible and insightful collection of stories of Palestinian lives and culture. They were joined by guests Jayyab Abusafia and Juliette Touma, contributors to this book.

Daybreak in Gaza is a record of extraordinary places and people, and of a culture preserved by the people themselves. Vignette of artists, acrobats, doctors, students, shopkeepers and teachers offer stories of love, life, loss and survival. They display the wealth of Gaza’s cultural landscape and breadth of its history.

Author Talk: Four Points of the Compass by Jerry Brotton

We had a wonderful evening hearing about our Book of the Month Four Points of the Compass Event: The Unexpected History of Direction by Jerry Brotton. He was joined by a special guest, the recipient of our 2024 Edward Stanford Outstanding Contribution to Travel Writing Award, Nicholas Crane.

Four Point of the Compass: The Unexpected History of Direction is available now for £20. We have signed copies available while stocks last.

Author Talk: London’s Street Trees by Paul Wood

Last night was a full house at Stanfords as Paul Wood returned to talk about the expanded and revised third edition of his bestselling book, London’s Street Trees: A Field Guide to the Urban Forest .

Author Event: The Fun in Life and Travel with Ben Aitken and Ash Bhardwaj

Last night we hosted a wonderful conversation with travel writers Ben Aitken and Ash Bhardwaj where they talked about their latest books Here Comes the Fun and Why We Travel. They spoke about discovering the connections between our need for fun and our desire for travel, and exploring how a bit more of each can enrich our lives and boost our wellbeing – without breaking the bank or the planet.

Author Event: Lost Paths by Jack Cornish

Last night we hosted an event with Jack Cornish and heard all about his new book Lost Paths.

Hundreds of thousands of miles of paths reach into, and connect, communities across England and Wales. By 2026, 10,000 miles of undiscovered footpaths around Britain stand to be lost. Jack Cornish has dedicated the last five years of his life to walking these forgotten routes, and this book, The Lost Paths, is the result. It is Jack Cornish’s hope that The Lost Paths will show just how special these forgotten rights of way are, and how embedded each path is in the history of Britain.

Footpaths, tracks, country lanes and urban streets illuminate how our ancestors interacted with and shaped their landscapes in the pursuit of commerce, salvation, escape, war, and leisure. Paths are an often-overlooked part of our everyday life and our country’s history, crucial to understanding the cultural and environmental history of us in the landscape.

After dedicating his time and energy to fighting for their survival, The Lost Paths is Jack’s personal journey and exploration of the deep history of English and Welsh footways. This narrative history takes us through ancient forests, exposed mountainsides, urban back streets and coastal vistas to reveal how this millennia-old network was created and has been transformed.

This is a celebration of an ancient network and a rallying cry to reclaim what has been lost and preserve it for future generations.

The Lost Paths is available now for £20. We have signed copies while stocks last.

Read a Guest Blog Post from Jack Cornish about Ways to Spot a Lost Path.

Author Event: French Windows by Antoine Laurain

On Tuesday evening we hosted an evening of discussion, storytelling and murder mystery with award winning author Antoine Laurain as he spoke to Jake Kerridge about his superb new novel French Windows, a surprising and suspenseful murder mystery, reminiscent of Hitchcock with a Parisian heart.