Ely Events and Reading Groups
In this atmospheric medieval city, just over an hour from London by train, author events range from reading groups and intimate events in the bookshop to the drama of performances under the world-renowned Octagon of Ely Cathedral. We hold events all year round, but in the autumn there is a special focus on the Ely Literary Festival.

Gill Hornby
Friday 6th June, 7pm
Celebrating Jane Austen's 250th anniversary we are thrilled to host Gill Hornby with her stunning new novel The Elopement!'It is a truth universally acknowledged that a …
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Reading Group - Mania
Tuesday 10th June, 7.30pm
What if calling someone stupid was illegal?In a reality not too distant from our own, the worst thing you can call someone is 'stupid'.Everyone is equally …
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Reading Group - Mr. Ma and Son
Tuesday 10th June, 7.30pm
Lao She was a major writer who would enjoy a successful career in his native China before falling foul of Mao's Cultural Revolution. In this early …
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Emily Hauser
Monday 16th June, 7pm
Emily Hauser joins us with Mary Beard to talk about Mythica this coming June!Who were the real women behind the myths of the Trojan War? Now …
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Larry Lamb
Wednesday 18th June, 7pm
Gavin and Stacy's Larry Lamb joins this summer for his debut novel All Wrapped Up. Informed by his years of experience in film and television, Larry …
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Duncan Poyser and Simon Stirrup
Thursday 19th June, 7pm
We are so pleased to be hosting an event for Fenland Nature. A book which showcases the natural history and landscape of the Fens, an area …
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Jo Hamilton
Monday 23rd June, 7pm
Jo Hamilton was one of more than 700 sub-postmasters prosecuted between 2000 and 2014 based on information from the Post Office's faulty Horizon accounting system. She …
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Queer Book Group - Sunburn
Tuesday 24th June, 7.30pm
It's the early 1990s, and in the Irish village of Crossmore, Lucy feels out of place. Despite her fierce friendships, she's always felt this way, and …
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Teen Reading Group - Watch Your Back
Thursday 26th June, 5pm
Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer. Kara has started a new school year without her best friend by her side. Eden has a new …
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Martha Collison
Friday 27th June, 7pm
Pull up a chair to Martha Collison's table, where the recipes are big on flavour with minimal fuss, making sharing food with friends easier than ever.Whether …
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Swallows
Sunday 29th June, 10.30am
Sim and his mum never live anywhere long. When dangerous strangers appear one night, Sim discovers why. His mum has been keeping secrets: she has the …
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David Rooney
Monday 30th June, 7pm
A non-stop flight across the Atlantic might seem routine today. But it is only possible because of those who went first.'Capturing not only the perils faced …
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Reading Group - Wise Blood
Tuesday 8th July, 7.30pm
"The book was written with zest and, if possible, it should be read that way." Thus Flannery O'Connor on her own extraordinary debut novel, Wise Blood, …
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Rob Cowen
Wednesday 9th July, 7pm
At the heart of this book is a highway. The A1; The Great North Road. A 400-mile multiplicity of ancient trackway, Roman road, pilgrim path, coach …
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Reading Group - The Lonely Londoners and Way of Sunlight
Tuesday 12th August, 7.30pm
Notable for its innovative narrative technique and linguistic freshness, as well as its ground-breaking subject, Sam Selvon's 1956 novel, The Lonely Londoners, is an exuberant and …
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Harry Sidebottom Book Launch
Tuesday 26th August, 7pm
Join us for our Book Launch event with the brilliant local author Harry Sidebottom! Celebrating the debut of his new book Those Who are About to …
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Reading Group - Resurrection
Tuesday 9th September, 7.30pm
Overcome with feelings of guilt over a crime committed in his dissolute youth, Prince Dmitri Nekhlyudov purses an eccentric path to personal salvation that will take …
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British Museum Lectures on Ancient India
Thursday 11th September, 7pm
Ancient India was a dynamic, cosmopolitan centre of creativity. The visual traditions of its major indigenous religions were closely interrelated, reflecting political power, changes in peoples’ …
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Katherine Rundell - Exclusive Edition
Tuesday 16th September, 7.30pm
The dragons call out, and the ratatoskas tell of murder. Come with us now. There is justice to be done.Return to the magic of the Archipelago... …
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Ben Elton
Tuesday 7th October, 7.30pm
What Have I Done? An Evening with Ben EltonJoin us for an evening in conversation with Ben Elton as he discusses his one-of-a-kind (and one volume …
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Olly Smith - Wine Tasting
Thursday 9th October, 7pm
All for wine and wine for all!You don’t need to be rich or have expert knowledge – you just need to feel confident in choosing wines …
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Ann Cleeves
Friday 17th October, 3pm
When a violent storm descends upon Orkney, the body of Archie Stout is left in its wake. An unusual murder weapon, a Neolithic stone bearing ancient …
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