Past Events
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Emma Darwin’s latest book, This is Not a Book About Charles Darwin, was described by Saga Magazine as ‘a refreshingly frank, witty, eloquent memoir-cum-biography’. The Times called her debut novel, The Mathematics of Love, ‘that rare thing, a book that works on every conceivable level’ and it’s probably unique in being nominated for both the Commonwealth Writers’ Best First Book, and the Romantic Novelists’ Association Novel of the Year Awards. The Mail on Sunday called her Sunday Times bestselling second novel, A Secret Alchemy, ‘powerful and utterly convincing’, while her Get Started in Writing Historical Fiction is described by publisher Scott Pack as ‘essential reading’. She has taught creative writing for the Open University, Oxford University and Goldsmiths, mentors individual writers, and blogs at This Itch of Writing.
Join Emma and Lucinda Hawksley on 30 January as they chat about writing, teaching writing, and being descended from famous ancestors! Come along and be a part of the Goldster Conversation.
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Join Lucinda Hawksley for a special seasonal PPG as she chats to Jared Brown, co-founder and master distiller of Sipsmith Gin, London’s first newly licensed copper pot distillery in nearly 200 years. He is also a prolific author along with his wife and fellow drinks historian, Anistatia Miller (37 books and over 3,000 articles), and has been travelling the world for the past few decades giving masterclasses on drink to many of the world’s top bartenders. Jared has also been gin distiller for the House of Commons, and he and Anistatia were head bartenders for the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington and directors of a wine and spirits museum in the South of France. They live in the Cotswolds where they grow gin and vermouth botanicals in their garden and make rather decent martinis.
Lucinda met Jared in 2022 when they were working on a TV programme with Miriam Margolyes – after he served her a particular fine alcohol-free ‘gin twist’, in emulation of the drink made by Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, Lucinda decided Jared would be the perfect guest for the Goldster Conversation this December. Join them at 12pm on 12 December and embrace the Christmas spirit(s).
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October is World Menopause Month, and we are thrilled to welcome Cheryl MacDonald, the dynamic founder of YogaBellies, onto Goldster, where she’ll be chatting with Lucinda Hawksley. Cheryl has recently released her latest books: YogaPause – What Women Need to Know After 40, and Why Yoga Is The Answer and the accompanying menopause journal, Unleashing Your Radiant Life.
Cheryl’s sparkling approach to menopause is practical, fun and refreshingly adventurous, as she speaks directly to the heart of women beginning and navigating the menopause journey. With over two decades as a Yoga Master and a teaching style that resonates with women of all ages, Cheryl has assisted hundreds through her innovative, accessible style of yoga. Cheryl turns the menopause experience from something daunting into the empowering life phase it should be.
Cheryl is also a hugely inspiring business mentor having helped hundreds of women in the UK to become masterful, inclusive and powerful yoga teachers and business owners through YogaBellies – www.yogabellies.com. Join Cheryl and Lucinda at 12pm on 10 October.
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Stu Hennigan is a writer, poet and musician from the north of England. His book Ghost Signs: poverty and the pandemic, grew almost accidentally out of his volunteering work of delivering food parcels during the covid lockdowns. He wrote down what he was witnessing, wanting his experiences to be known by a wider audience “because this is real life”.
His book was published by Bluemoose in June last year, shortlisted for the Best Non-fiction award at the 2022 Bookseller’s Association Awards and for the Best Political Book award by a Non-Parliamentarian at the 2022 Parliamentary Book Awards. It was also listed by Blackwells as one of their Books of the Year.
Stu is a Senior Librarian for Stock and Reader Development at Leeds Libraries and also writes short fiction, essays and poetry. He’ll be talking to Lucinda Hawksley about the pandemic, poverty and what he witnessed as a volunteer in the frontline of the pandemic on the Goldster PPG show at 12pm on 9 May.
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Born in London, but living in Fife, singer and songwriter Xan Tyler is preparing for her first solo album release. ‘Holding Up Half The Sky’ is a vital album that explores themes of female empowerment using her own experiences alongside stories of some of the women that have inspired her.
Although this is Xan’s debut solo album it is not her first rodeo. She collaborated in 2021 with dub reggae legend Mad Professor on Clarion Call and in 2021 with Kramer under Let It Come Down on their dreampop album ‘Songs We Sang In Our Dreams’. Xan also flirted with the charts back when she was part of Technique on Creation Records and released numerous tracks on various dance labels in the early 2000’s. She has been described as ‘genre agnostic’ due to her eclectic approach to music making.
On 11 April, Xan will be joining Lucinda Hawksley on Purpose, Passion, Grit to talk about what it is like to be a woman in the music industry and the inspiration behind writing her music.