✍ Signed by the author
‘My Friends’ by Hisham Matar
This tender and powerful novel, now out in paperback, is the story of three Libyan men living in London, far away from their homeland. It’s a story of belonging, of shared trauma and ultimately, what it means to be human.
Continue reading ‘My Friends’ by Hisham MatarLast 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.
Continue reading Author Event with André Rostant and Dom JolyLet us take you on a quick trip around the world via these four selected books that are currently on our shelves here at Stanfords:
by Han Fan, translated by Jeremy Tiang
£13.99
Set in: Malaysia
From 1976 to 1989, Hai Fan was part of the guerrilla forces of the Malayan Communist Party. These short stories are inspired by his experiences during his thirteen years in the rainforest.
Continue reading Around the World in 4 BooksStanfords x Big Issue Event: The Muffin Man: A conversation with André Rostant and Dom Joly
Date and time: Thursday 9th January 2025. 19:00 – 20:30
Location: Stanfords London, 7 Mercer Walk, Covent Garden, WC2H 9FA
As Stanfords has been a well-known name in London since 1853 we’ve managed to build a real network of friends in the community from other local businesses to friendly faces of people working and living in the area. One of those faces that many of you may well know is André Rostant, the Big Issue vendor who is a published author and poet.
To celebrate André’s book The Muffin Man, published earlier this year, he will be in conversation here at Stanfords, Covent Garden with the author and comedian Dom Joly. Join us for a brilliant and insightful evening talking about André’s book and raising awareness and support for the Big Issue.
Continue reading Dom Joly talks to André Rostant about The Muffin ManOrbital by Samantha Harvey was last night, Tuesday, 12 November, named the winner of the Booker Prize 2024.
Orbital, which is Harvey’s fifth novel and sixth book, takes place over a single day in the life of six astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. During those 24 hours they observe 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets over their silent blue planet, spinning past continents and cycling past seasons, taking in glaciers and deserts, the peaks of mountains and the swells of oceans. This compact yet beautifully expansive novel invites us to observe Earth’s splendour, whilst reflecting on the individual and collective value of every human life.
We knew it was a great book as we’ve had it centre stage in our Map of the Month window since the beginning of the month.
Last week we hosted a wonderful launch event where we heard from writer and filmmaker Kae Bahar who introduced his fascinating novel The Good, The Bad and The Gringo, a captivating tale of a young Kurdish man growing up in Iraq, confused about his gender and Saddam’s cruel terror.
Finding Solace from Saddam’s terror in the world of Cinema.
Growing up as a Kurd in Saddam’s Iraq, Merywan feels he doesn’t belong to this twisted society, but finds inspiration and comfort in the magic world of cinema.
He secretly writes letters to his hero, Clint Eastwood, whom he calls Gringo, begging him to help him escape to America. As his plans are disrupted, Merywan is drawn deeper into a roller – coaster ride of savagery, passion, betrayal and heroism, which makes the movies he adores almost seem trivial by comparison.
Continue reading Author Talk: The Good the Bad and the Gringo by Kae BaharLaunched in 2015, the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards (ESTWA) seek to celebrate the best travel writing and travel writers in the world. For the second year we are partnering with Viking to bring you four awards:
Continue reading Submissions for the 2025 Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards Presented by Viking are now OPENHere are six new titles that we have been enjoying during our summer holidays:
by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances Riddle
£12.99
Set in: Argentina
Fifteen years after killing her husband’s lover, Ines is fresh out of prison and trying to put together a new life. Her old friend Manca is out now too, and they’ve started a business – FFF, or Females, Fumigation, and Flies – dedicated to pest control and private investigation, by women, for women. But Senora Bonar, one of their clients, wants Ines to do more than kill bugs – she wants her expertise, and her criminal past, to help her kill her husband’s lover, too.
This is Pineiro at her wry, earthy best, alive to all the ways we shape ourselves to be understandable, to be understood, by family and love and other hostile forces.
Continue reading New Fiction we’ve been readingLast night we hosted the launch of Sunbirds by Penelope Slocombe published by John Murray Press.
This is a perfect summer read if you are looking for some fiction with a sense of place. Set in the Himalayas.
Continue reading Book Launch: Sunbirds by Penelope SlocombeLast night we hosted the launch of The Long Water by Stef Penney.
