Join the NCW Virtual Book Club!
Our first virtual book club will discuss Sara Baume’s remarkable Goldsmiths Prize-shortlisted novel, ‘A Line Made By Walking’.

Join us and share your passion for reading!

Every two months we will meet virtually over tea and biscuits to discuss some of the best works in contemporary literature. We’ll explore short stories, novels, non-fiction, poetry, and works in translation, making these informal and friendly sessions the perfect way to meet like-minded readers and to discover exciting new reads. We’ll always choose books that are easy to purchase in hard copy online or via Kindle.

Virtual Book Club #1: A Line Made By Walking

Our first virtual book club will discuss Sara Baume’s remarkable Goldsmiths Prize-shortlisted novel, A Line Made By Walking – the story of a young artist’s search for meaning and healing in rural Ireland. The Guardian described it as ‘fascinating, because of the cumulative power of the precise, pleasingly rhythmic sentences, and the unpredictable intelligence of the narrator’s mind. . . there is a reminder of the beauty that can be found when you allow yourself to look slowly and sadly at the world.’

There are plenty of ways for you to get involved with the book club from home:

Subscribe and listen to the Writing Life podcast

Tune into episode 91 of The Writing Life podcast (coming soon) where we give a brief introduction to A Line Made By Walking, then make sure to subscribe as we’ll be going into a more in-depth discussion in later episodes! Here’s an introduction:

Join our new online community

We’ve launched a new community space on Discord to help readers and writers connect in these unusual times. Book Club members were the first to be invited, so come and join the discussion! Click here to claim your free spot.

Take part in a virtual book club discussion via Zoom

If you’re looking for something a little more interactive, you can join us on 21 May or 2 June for a virtual book club discussion by video! Just sign-up for free and we will send you instructions ahead of time.

Sign-up for 6.30 – 7.30pm, Thursday 21 May

Sign-up for 4.30 – 5.30pm, Tuesday 26 May

Spaces are limited so we recommend booking your place in advance.

Try our questions and suggested activities based on the book

Once you’ve finished the book, we have compiled some questions that you might like to consider or discuss with friends, family and fellow members of the Book Club. We even have some suggested activities that you might like to try out. Read more

Further recommended reads

If you’ve finished the book and would love something similarly brilliant to sink your teeth into, why not try one of these recommended reads from your local bookshop, library or online? With a mixture of novels, poetry, memoir, essays, and work in translation, we’ve got recommendations for every taste which continue to explore Sara Baume’s themes of memory, art and the natural world. Read more

Send us your thoughts via social media or email

We’d love to hear what you thought of the book. You can email us any time at [email protected] or contact us via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram to share your comments – and if you’re happy for us to do so, we can read them aloud on the Writing Life podcast.

 

Where can I buy the book?

Many of your favourite independent bookshops are continuing their business online or by phone and will deliver anywhere in the UK. Why not give them a shout?

Norwich – The Book HiveJarroldTombland BooksBookbugs and Dragon TalesAbstract SprockettNorfolk Children’s Book Centre

London – Burley Fisher BooksDaunt BooksBrick Lane BookshopPages of HackneyDulwich BooksStoke Newington BookshopSouth Kensington BooksNewham BookshopPages of Cheshire StreetThe All Good BookshopPickled Pepper BooksOwl BookshopPersephone Books

Edinburgh – Golden Hare BooksTypewronger Books

Wadhurst – Barnetts Books

York – Ken Spelman Books

Petersfield – The Petersfield Bookshop

Stockton-on-Tees – Drake the Bookshop

Arundel and Chichester – Kim’s Bookshop

Nottingham – Five Leaves Bookshop

Hexham, Northumberland – Cogito Books

Explore The Bookseller’s list of independent bookshops and the services they can offer

A Line Made By Walking is also available for purchase as an eBook and Audiobook. Visit the Penguin website for details.

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