17th April Newsletter
What’s On At Veranda
Welcome, welcome! What a change of pace this week! Far fewer ‘out of office’ emails, lots more customers. Some BIG books being published, and lots of literary news to get excited about. One of the biggest books this year is of course London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe – we’ve been inundated with orders for this one, and have a stack of signed copies if you’ve yet to pick one up. And last week’s newsletter, inspired by this book, and dedicated to our fantastic city, was our most-read ever. Thank you for reading, for commenting, and for continuing to support our bookshop. Hope to see you in-store soon!
Veranda Subscriptions
One of our favourite aspects of running Veranda is recommending books to customers – for themselves, or as gifts. Conversations around recent reads, favourite authors and new discoveries are a constant source of delight for us – and a huge part of what we do. We’re proud of our carefully-curated collection of books, and nothing thrills us more than uniting a reader (of any age and inclination) with a new book.
So here’s a quick reminder about our Subscription service, which allows you (or a friend) to receive a recommended read from us every month.
We launched Subscriptions at Christmas, mostly as a gift idea – and of course they work just as well for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations etc! Or you might consider getting one for yourself, if you don’t live near the shop, or just like the idea of having a new book delivered to you every month.
We currently offer Translated Fiction and Contemporary Fiction as Subscriptions. When signing up, tell us a bit about the kind of books you’ve enjoyed – or leave it to us to surprise you. Available for 6 months or a whole year, your upfront payment covers book selection and postage.
We also offer a Kids’ Subscription which requires a bit more detail – but what a fantastic gift for any junior bookworm (or indeed, a reluctant reader) in your life!
Full details are on our website – or call in at the shop to find out more.
Spotlight on Akoya
An exciting new independent publishing house arrived on the scene late last year, and 2026 is already shaping up to be a stellar year. Akoya was founded by Camilla Hagen, who has assembled a formidable team around her, all with many years of publishing experience behind them. Camilla‘s passion for literature is lifelong and heartfelt. In her own words: “Literature is one of the greatest tools we have to increase empathy, broaden perspectives, and build bridges across cultural barriers – ultimately shaping a kinder world.”
And challenging any notion that kindness and ambition could be mutually exclusive, Akoya’s slate for 2026 boasts 15 titles – literary works of fiction and non-fiction, drawn from all around the world, many in translation. These books are daring, intellectually challenging – and we’re thrilled to be working with such a courageous new publisher.
In May, we’ll be hosting 2 Akoya events:
- 12th May – Pedro Carmona-Alverez, author of Chiquitita will be in conversation with Leo Robson, whose debut novel The Boys was published last year
- 21st May – Liliana Colanzi, a prize-winning Bolivian writer, will be discussing her short story collection You Glow in the Dark which was named a ‘Must-Read’ book by TIME magazine
Looking ahead, Akoya titles currently on our TBR pile are Morgan Day’s The Oldest Bitch Alive (out next week!), and the first foray into non-fiction by one of Veranda’s favourite writers, Ayşegül Savaş. The Wilderness will be on our bookshelf in the autumn.
Now Booking
Talking Anger with Jennifer Cox and Sam Parker
We hope you can join us on the 7th May for a conversation which promises to cover science, psychology, gender inequality – and no doubt, much more – as we’re joined by psychotherapist Jennifer Cox and writer Sam Parker to talk about anger.
Jennifer has spent years in practice working with violent men, and now focuses on the female expression/repression of this misunderstood emotion. Her Women Are Mad podcast has included such luminaries as Elif Shafak and Jameela Jamil, and her 2024 book Women Are Angry shone a light on what really enrages women – and how society has conditioned us to diminish our emotions.
Journalist Sam investigated how anger became so taboo in his recent book Good Anger, arguing that this misunderstood emotion can be turned into a source of bravery and self-respect. This intelligent and thought-provoking book was extremely well-received, garnering praise from the FT and Independent, as well as from writers we admire such as Alice Vincent and Irvine Welsh.
A fascinating subject, and what promises to be a really lively conversation. Join us for drinks and chit-chat from 6.30, conversation 7-8.
Our Recommended Reads
The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley
Emily’s pick this week is an intriguing novel centred on Laura and her friend Putnam; it opens with his resignation from the literary magazine to which he’s devoted 25 years of his life. The story delicately weaves back in time through Laura’s adolescence, told in a series of vignettes. Riley is a master of writing difficult relationships – a distant mother, a cruel father – but through it all is the tender and affectionate friendship between Laura and Putnam. Conversations are written with pin-point precision and Riley’s pared-back prose highlights the ordinary, everyday with a quiet exactitude recognisable to the reader. An understated triumph of a book – expect to see this on future prize lists.
Self-Worth by Emma Tholozan (tr. Emma Ramadan)
Leo’s pick this week: Fresh out of university, Philosophy graduate Anna drifts between gig-economy jobs, none of which have any relevance to her degree. Jaded and unmotivated, things take a mysterious turn when her boyfriend Lulu starts to inexplicably throw up bile-covered €100 notes (yes, really). Suddenly the couple find themselves thrown into a world of designer goods, luxury holidays and a new apartment in Paris’s chicest arrondissement.
Having previously railed against the ills of capitalism, Anna decides to reinvent herself, but as Lulu’s health declines, she is forced to confront what matters most to her: love of money or love of Lulu.
A fantastically strange exploration of the tension between capitalism and personal freedom, with echoes of last year’s smash hit Perfection.
What we’re loving this week…
This week, Emily followed in Alison’s footsteps and went to see the Rose Wylie exhibition at the Royal Academy. Huge expanses of canvas with childlike paintings and drawings – Wylie uses memories and feeling to create these fun and often humorous oil paintings. Sometimes attracted by a film still, a photo in a newspaper or even just her breakfast, I love the way she can turn everyday objects into things of curiosity and joy. Highly recommend as it’s only on for another week!
On a soul level, Leo is loving the fact that his namesake, Pope Leo chose Easter weekend to launch his own spiritual offensive against the world’s worst tyrant.
On a gut microbiome level, he (and Emily) were pleased to see the reappearance of Tim’s Greek Vanilla Kefir on the shelves of Waitrose Edgware Road.
Alison had the pleasure of seeing Kim Gordon launch her 3rd solo album, Play Me on the world (by way of Shepherd’s Bush). Uncompromising as ever, Gordon’s experimental music and deadpan performance delighted the crowd – diehard Sonic Youth-ers mingled with new-generation fans. All in all, a unique experience.
A more gentle note was struck at the Courtauld on Monday, when Alison spent a tranquil hour at the Seurat and the Sea exhibition. Seurat spent his summers from 1885-1890 on the northern coast of France, rendering the seascapes and way of life he saw here in paintings and sketches using his distinctive ‘dot’ technique. His work is imbued with colour and light, offering a welcome breath of soft sea air on a grey city day.
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