Independent Bookshop Week
June 20th - 26th
June 20th - 26th was Independent Bookshop Week. Ann is always delighted to support our beloved high-street bookshops, especially now when they need us most. On June 15th bookshops were allowed to open again in much of the UK, but social distancing reduces footfall and events are still digital. During Independent Bookshop Week there were all sorts of imaginative projects taking place. Ann chatted with Wee Three Indies on Thursday 25th at 7.00pm as part of their new series of virtual author events. This is a brand new collaboration between the brilliant Scottish booksellers Atkinson-Pryce Books, The Edinburgh Bookshop and Far From the Madding Crowd.
Closer to home, there's a collaboration with Forum Books in the small Northumberland town of Corbridge, who have supported Ann since they set up shop many years ago. A couple of years ago, they changed premises and moved into an empty chapel in the heart of the town. When the builders were renovating the building, they discovered an enormous baptismal font just below the pulpit; the pulpit is still there and used as a stage for events. This was the germ of an idea for a Vera short story, Frozen.
To celebrate Independent Bookseller Week, and to support Helen at Forum Books, Pan Macmillan has printed 500 copies of the short story. This is a very special item and exclusive to the shop in the UK. To get a free copy, readers just have to pre-order the new Vera novel, The Darkest Evening, which is set in winter too, and in the same part of Northumberland as Forum Books. You can order any of Ann's books from her dedicated page on the Forum Books website - and Forum Books is the place for signed copies of Ann Cleeves's books, too.
- Wednesday 18th - Saturday 21st November
- Iceland Noir
Ann Cleeves has written a murder mystery based around a traditional Shetland Sunday tea, especially for librarians and booksellers who would like to host their own murder mystery party. There's a script for four actors (with a guest appearance from detective Jimmy Perez), and - for a really authentic experience! - there are recipes for Shetland homebakes!
Look out for a 'Blood on the Bannocks' event near you - or find out how you can stage your own!