About last night

Coming up at Backstory

• Free live music every Thursday evening, 6pm-8pm.

  No need to book, just turn up at our bar from 6pm on Thursday evenings

• Kids signing: Katie Kirby — The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks

  Thursday 12th October, 4pm

  Meet bestselling children’s author Katie Kirby at our in-store signing of her new and hilarious festive themed book

• Backstory presents: words & music with The Listening Project

  Saturday 21st October, 7.30pm

  A ticketed music night with The Listening Project, who will be celebrating contemporary classical music with an oratory focus. Featuring the works of composers such as Hilary Kleinig, Ted Hearne, Anna Disley-Simpson, John Lely and more. Join us for a night of sounds and soliloquy at the bookshop where art, music and ideas come together.

• Ha-Joon Chang — Edible Economics

  Wednesday 25th October, 7.30pm

  The SOAS economist discusses his new book, which challenges the economic orthodoxy, serving up new ideas with a side order of stories about food from around the globe.

• Prisons, inside and out, with Chris Atkins and Alex South

  Wednesday 1st November, 7.30pm

  Join us to discuss life inside — and after — prison with Chris Atkins, whose book ‘Time After Time’ tracks the fortunes of a dozen repeat offenders to understand why recidivism remains stubbornly high, and Alex South, who recounts her experiences of life as a female prison officer in ‘Behind These Doors’.

• Jonathan Coe — Bournville

  Wednesday 8th November, 7.30pm

  The Costa Prize-winning author of ‘Mr Wilder & Me’, ‘What A Carve Up!’ and ‘Middle England’ discusses his latest novel, tracing life in one Birmingham suburb – and the story of our country – over the last 75 years

• Jeremy Bowen — The Making of the Modern Middle East

  Wednesday 15th November, 7.30pm

  The BBC’s International Editor takes a break from world affairs to give insights into the Middle East and his career covering some of the biggest flashpoints of our time. 

• James O’Brien — How They Broke Britain

  Wednesday 22nd November, 7.30pm

  Lewis Goodall, co-host of The News Agents podcast, talks to LBC presenter James O’Brien about his new book, naming and shaming those he argues are responsible for the mess in which we find ourselves. 

• Janice Hallett — The Christmas Appeal

  Wednesday 29th November, 7.30pm

  Meet the “Queen of Cosy Crime”. The author of The Twyford Code and The Appeal discusses her new festive mystery.

• Coming up at the Non-Fiction Book Club: Caroline Knowles (Serious Money: Walking Plutocratic London), Christina Lamb (Our Bodies, Their Battlefield)

• Coming up at the Fiction Book Club: Rebecca Wait (I’m Sorry You Feel That Way), Bobby Palmer (Isaac And The Egg)

• SOLD OUT: Ella Risbridger and Kate Young — The Dinner Table: 100 Writers on Food

  Wednesday 11th October, 7.30pm

• SOLD OUT: Kenny Imafidon in conversation with Stephen Bush — That Peckham Boy

  Wednesday 18th October, 7.30pm

Our magazine is now out

ORDER FOR £2.95

HELLO FROM A ROUNDABOUT on the outskirts of the West Midlands. If the lesson of Backstory’s 1st birthday party yesterday was that people seem to love an independent bookshop almost as much as they do a free drink, then my takeaway from today is that there are probably better hangover cures than a trade fair at a conference hotel somewhere between Milton Keynes and Coventry. “Delegate?” More like “delicate”.

So please forgive me for a briefer note than usual. Not only am I a little worse for wear, but I ought to enjoy the full range of delights that the Booksellers Association’s annual conference has on offer. (One of which is juxtaposition. Next door to the conference hotel? An Amazon warehouse.)

I did, however, want to say what a genuine delight it was to share yesterday with so many of you — even if it did seem a flagrant breach of our alcohol licence to continue nursing my red wine as regular after regular wished me a “happy 1st birthday”.

It was so lovely to celebrate the milestone with friends old and new: from uni besties to the nicest of ex-colleagues to regulars who frequent the shop so much they resemble a second family (replete with its fair share of mad aunts). The Clink — the bakery at HMP Brixton which gives prisoners qualifications and Backstory its delicious brownies — did us proud with some very bookish birthday cupcakes.

It was a thrill, too, to launch — and sell hundreds of copies of — the first issue of our very own magazine. I’m really proud of it, and hope it distils something of the essence of Backstory. (Post it to anyone in the UK for £2.95.)

Most of all, it was a treat to be able to raise a toast to the team: Amy, Darby, Denise, Megan and Rory. As I said last night, to the extent Backstory is successful, they are the reason: their warmth, humour and genuine interest not only in books but also in people is infectious. I doubt there are many other bookshops where people laugh so much, and that makes me very proud. Thanks so much, Team Backstory.

Here’s to year 2! But before that, I’m off for a nap. Got to recharge before — ahem — a drinks reception. It’s sponsored by the bookselling IT software, so I imagine it’ll be a big one. One can only hope the evening will end with us singing “I-S-B-N” to the tune of the YMCA.

Thanks for all your support this past year. It means everything,

Tom x