Chatting about The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters at the Book Group Party 14th June  Alice in Wonderland Tea-Party in the Kirkdale Care Centre Garden on Sunday 6th June 2010 
Mad Hatter Hat-making in progress! 
Everyone down the rabbit hole!
   
THURSDAY 4th MARCH 2010 World Book Day DOODLING AND COLOURING DROP-IN WORKSHOP 3.30pm - 5.30pm with Fiona Watt from Usborne Books Our special window display, created by the talented team at Usborne Publishing was a way of saying thank you to Usborne who have been so generous to our Father Christmas over the last few years.
The display is centred around their new series of reading books for beginners and their wonderful doodling and colouring books.
 Jim and Karen reading their new book
SATURDAY 6th MARCH 2010
A storytime special with Karen Wall and Jim Helmore and their brand new HOLD ON TIGHT, STRIPY HORSE Wear something stripy!
A very sepcial stripy horse mask! CHRISTMAS CAROL AT KIRKDALE BOOKSHOP
Local Councillor Chris Best with the actors... CHRISTMAS 2009 We held our special Christmas event on Friday December 4th between 4pm and 9pm, not knowing quite what to expect. As we were offering 10% off everything in the shop and readings from Dickens' Christmas Carol, it was difficult to know how to organise it. On the night, however, it was great fun, with four fantastic actors performing amongst the customers in the shop. The book was divided into six episodes, interrupting the Christmas shopping every 15 minutes. With the mulled wine and the mince pies and a special lucky dip for the children, I think everyone came away feeling a little bit more Christmassy! (But we forgot to take any pictures!)
Kirkdale Bookshop's events during the
Sydenham Arts Festival
July 2009 The very first Sydenham Arts Festival took place in July.
Sat 4 July 10.00am–3.00pm. Beach at the Bookshop The pavement outside Kirkdale Bookshop was transformed into a beach complete with sand, palm trees and even a deck-chair.
10.30–11.00am Punch & Judy World-renowned Punch & Judy man John StylesMB E works his inimitable magic on Sydenham’s very own beach.
Noon–1pm. Come and meet Levi Roots The creator of Reggae Reggae Sauce (as seen on Dragon’s Den), signed copies of his book.  Sun 5 July 11am–2.30pm Poetry Workshop (Please see separate listing on p19) Tue 7 July 7.30–9.00pm Talk on Artists & Musicians in Sydenham (Please see separate listing on p14) Tue 7 July 4.00–5.00pm Children’s Creative Writing Workshop Exploring character & story with experienced children’s workshop leader Frances Dickens. l Suitable for 8-12 year olds, ticketed Thur 9 July 3–5.00pm Open Book Circle Tea Party Readers are invited to discuss books* at an informal tea party. Free cakes and tea & coffee provided! * Please ask about the titles Fri 10 July 4–5.00pm The Art of the Picture Book Local award-winning children’s authors Karen Wall and Jim Helmore talk about the process involved in creating a picture book. l Suitable for all ages 12+, ticketed Fri 10 July 7.00pm Book Signing Award winning author Maria Roberts will be talking about and signing copies of her book, ‘Single Mother on the Verge’. Penguin Original. Sat 11 July 10.30–11.00am Cats and Dogs Storytime The Times Children’s Book of the Year winner, Viviane Schwarz, and puppeteer Sue Eves read from their picture books. Signed copies will be available. l Sat 11 July 11.30–1.30pm Sock Cat Workshop Two lonely socks can become one happy sockbeast! Bring your favourite sad single socks to this workshop and you’ll have a new cuddly sock-friend. No sewing experience needed. Materials supplied - except socks. l Ages 6+, ticketed Sat 11 July 3–4.30pm Poetry Workshop for Children Sad poems, silly poems, happy poems, cat poems, dog poems, monkey poems. We’ll read some and write some and play some fun games to get our imaginations going. So join Orlaine Dee and Will Davies in a fun and interactive workshop for budding poets. l Suitable for 7-11 year olds, ticketed
Click on the link below to visit the festival's website.
Children enjoying Sue Eves and puppet friend, reading from her new picture book The Quiet Woman and the Noisy Dog on Saturday 28th February, as part of our World Book Day celebrations. Published by Andersen Press @ £10.99
Sue Eves and "Woofy" outside Kirkdale Bookshop. ........................................................
Kirkdale Bookshop was 42 on Saturday 18th October 2008 To celebrate the shop's birthday on Saturday 18th October 2008, members of the Writers' Group read stories, plays and poems from their anthology 42: Life, The Universe and Everything to an audience of more than sixty loyal customers. Moving about the shop promenade style, the audience were treated to stories about vampire commuters and man-eating crocodiles, as well as plays featuring gun-toting teenagers and time-travelling soldiers. The evening was a great success and will be followed by publication of the anthology in December.
An Evening with Paul Kieve November 2008
To coincide with the launch of Paul's book Hocus Pocus in paperback, the author gave an illustrated talk on the history of magic and performed some startling illusions. Paul is a world-renowned illusionist and magic consultant in the West End. Recently he was physical magic consultant to Daniel Radcliffe and the Harry Potter films.
Look Out Stripy Horse! Special Stripy Storytime Award winning local children's authors Jim Helmore and Karen Wall visited the shop to read their latest children's book, Look Out Stripy Horse! on Saturday 27th September. Over twenty children dressed in stripy clothes joined in the fun and Jim and Karen signed copies for over an hour.
A Midsummer Night's Dream staged in the Dolphin Garden by Jonathan Kaufman and Spontaneous Productions (formerly Kirkdale Bookshop Theatre Company)
Sara McAuley as Moth
Karl Edrik as Bottom, GB as The Wall and Dan Crowley as Flute (photographs by Ann Pownall) see link below
The Dictator's Wife One-off one woman play by Mohammed Hanif 2nd August 2008
Nimra Bucha, wife of Mohammed Hanif as The Dictator's Wife On Saturday 2nd August Hanif's play The Dictator's Wife was premiered at Kirkdale Bookshop for a one-off, Edinburgh preview performance. Performed by Hanif's wife Nimra Bucha, the play was a comic look at the private life of the sixth most powerful man in the world. Up to forty customers crammed into the front of the shop, enduring sweltering temperatures, to enjoy a thoroughly entertaining evening.
Egyptian Mask Workshop August 2008
Children enjoyed making Anubis masks in Juliet Desailly's workshop
Independent Booksellers' Week 1st - 8th July 2008
Author Mohammed Hanif LOCAL AUTHOR MAKES BOOKER PRIZE LONGLIST! Sydenham-based author, Mohammed Hanif has been longlisted by the judges of the Man Booker Prize 2008 for his novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes. Hanif read from and signed copies of his novel as part of our celebrations for Independent Booksellers' Week in July.
Hanif signs copies of his book A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Author Michael Hodges signs copies of his book AK47: The People's Gun
Jad Adams signs copies of his book Hideous Absinthe
Jad Adams and Geraldine Cox trying a drop of 'the green fairy'
Jonathan serving up a feast on Sydenham Beach
A game of catch on the beach
Geraldine's grand-daughter Chloe busy making sandcastles on Sydenham Beach
Vegetables - Caribbean stylee! Turning the Pages
Theatrical evening October 2007
Fiona Alderton and Will Davies as Alice Liddell and Lewis Carroll
Will Birch and Fiona Whitelaw in Pageturners
Debbie Garvey and Paul Fagan as Mother & Father Bear
Martin Plews, Orlaine McDonald and Will Birch in TeenReads by Will Davies
Fiona Whitelaw as Jane Rochester (nee Eyre) and Fiona Alderton as Elizabeth Darcy (nee Bennet) in Reader I Married Him by Jane Wiley Harry Potter Midnight Party
A real Nimbus 2000 (as used in the movie!) and its reluctant rider
Strange things happen at midnight!
Last Ever Midnight Harry Potter Party window
First in the queue!
An expectant queue waiting for midnight...
Another view of the queue...
Last Ever Harry Potter Party window display
Witching hour
40th Birthday Party Kirkdale Bookshop celebrated its 40th birthday in October 2006 with a big party for its loyal customers
Father Christmas visit
The man himself
Santa and a couple of his elves?
Esmerelda the Elf lends a hand
Are those eyebrows for real?
First in the queue! Sydenham Winter Festival
Altogether now! Hallowe'en
Hallowe'en was a real scream... 24 Hour Reading Challenge As part of Get London Reading customers and staff took turns reading aloud the whole of Peter Ackroyd's London: The Biography, during one 24-hour period in March 2006.
Andrew Flynn kicks off proceedings at 9am on Saturday
Words words words...
Geraldine reaches Chapter 49 at 1am in the morning!
So many volunteers, so little time...
Dalek Visit 2005 To celebrate its 39th birthday the shop was visited by a Dalek, as used in the original television series
The Doctor's 11th incarnation?
Exterminate!
Help! Earthling children! Lewisham Business Awards 2005
The Mayor pays a visit to the winner of Lewisham Business Awards Best Customer Service 2005 The Gruffalo Visit
A new friend
A hug for the Gruffalo Chrissie Gittins book signing |
