29th November Newsletter
What’s On At Veranda
Welcome to this week’s newsletter!
Here at Veranda, we’ve had an eventful week, full of conversation and discovery, powered as ever by writing – and reading. Power, in fact, has been at the heart of these events. The power of literature to challenge governments and those who undermine democracy was discussed at Wednesday’s Missing Voices panel discussion. The power of reading to heal, to provide comfort in difficult times, was the theme of Thursday’s in-store event (more on that below). So if you’re in need – or just curious, step inside Veranda and feel the power for yourself.
Shop News
The final in-store event of 2025…
Over the last few months, we’ve run a full schedule of in-store events; authors and translators in conversation, book launches and workshops. It’s been a total joy to welcome so many of you to the shop and to meet so many talented and generous writers.
On Thursday, we held the final event of 2025 – poet Sarah Fletcher and bibliotherapist Bijal Shah, discussing the healing power of literature. Bijal’s latest book, Bibliotherapy is a firm favourite at Veranda, and Bijal herself is a warm and knowledgable advocate for literature as a source of solace and insight. This fascinating talk – delivered to a lively and engaged audience – made for the perfect ending to events season. The atmosphere was warm and convivial, and the shop was alive with conversation way past closing time.
We’re already working on events for 2026 – it promises to be an exciting line-up and we can’t wait to share it with you. Watch this space…
“Great writing crosses boundaries of place, of culture - and of form.”
The team felt honoured to be invited along to the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation this week. Held annually since 2017, the prize “offers us an opportunity to welcome in the voices and perspectives we’ve missed so far” according to Maureen Freely, Professor of Creative Writing at Warwick, and herself a translator of great acclaim. This year’s shortlist included works translated from French, Swedish, Korean, Hungarian and Romanian, and on the evening we were treated to readings by the translators themselves – their work being described as nothing short of “transformative magic”. Regulars at Veranda will know of our passion for Translated Fiction – and the space we devote to it in the shop. Expect to see and hear more from us on this genre in 2026 as we cement our position as London’s go-to destination for international writing.
The winner of the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation 2025 is And the Walls Became the World All Around by Johanna Ekström and Sigrid Rausing (translated from Swedish by Sigrid Rausing)
Now Booking
A Magical Year with Annie May Rice
“Reading and writing, like everything else, improves with practice” – Margaret Atwood”
We all know the theory, but sometimes, we need a little help along the way. Enter Annie May Rice, a new friend of Veranda. A talented writer, mentor and enchanting human being, Annie is a launching a program in 2026, My Year of Magical Writing. Intelligently structured, this is a superb program designed to support and inspire you to write – whether for publication or for yourself.
We’ve collaborated with Annie to provide a parallel scheme, My Year of Magical Reading – part challenge, part commitment to reading more, and more widely, to support your writing. This is a tailored version of our reading subscription and will be curated in line with Annie’s course. By signing up, you’ll receive 6 books over the course of the year – mainly fiction, but with a surprise or 2 thrown in.
Check out Annie’s website to find out more – treat yourself, or buy it as a gift for someone special. After all, we’re approaching that time of year; consider this a preview of our Christmas recommendations, coming up in next year’s newsletter.
Our Recommended Reads
You Had to Be There by Jodie Harsh
Leo’s had his nose in this all weeks and has this to say: For former club kids and nostalgic party animals, drag queen extraordinaire, Jodie Harsh’s buzzy new memoir is a paen to this halcyon pre-social media days of the noughties. Shining a spotlight on some of London’s most iconic clubs, this is a coming of age story laced in glitter and told through the acerbic lens of someone who writes with such conviction and restless energy that it’s hard not to be transplanted back to a Saturday – or Tuesday – night in one of London’s iconic hangouts. Gone but not forgotten: The Astoria.
Heart the Lover by Lily King
On the recommendation of a customer, Alison picked this up, and (honestly) couldn’t put it down. A novel of – roughly – two halves, the first immerses us in college life and the intoxicating, yearning intensity of young love. Life, in all its unpredictable glory, intervenes – but years later, the lovers reconnect. When a book is this readable, you know you’re in good hands, and King tells the story with vivid, precise language. Ultimately, this is an exploration of love, in many forms, and of loss – and you will feel everything.
What we’re loving this week…
Emily’s gone down an Olga Ravn rabbit hole reading her new novel The Wax Child, a strange and compelling story of a group of women trialled for witchcraft based on a real witch trial from the 1600s. Disturbing and eerie in its imagining of how the women dealt with these accusations.
Followed by Ravn’s masterpiece The Employees, a workplace novel set in space with human and humanoid ship inmates. It questions what it means to be human. Ravn is a powerhouse of contemporary literary fiction.
Emily’s also been loving the audiobook of The Woman in Black (Susan Hill) narrated by the brilliant Paapa Essiedu. A great updated adaptation.
Leo went to see Peter Doig’s immersive art+music show, House of Music at the Serpentine, where two rare, restored analogue speakers take centre stage alongside paintings inspired by his years in Trinidad and its musical history.
Recommended reading for those looking to steal a march on early New Year’s resolutions: Substack post by London-based writer, Erifili Gounari. Entitle “Literally just do things”, it’s a call to arms against procrastination.
Alison’s loving a change of scene – in Istanbul for the weekend. Looking forward to sailing on the Bosphorous, mainlining lahmacun, and paying a visit to the fabulous Frankeştayn Kitabevi (Frankenstein Bookshop) in Beyoğlu.
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