Books Books Books

We are excited to have Romana Iorga in the bookshop on Thursday, June 19th, reading from her new book of poetry, Temporary Skin. If you’ve read or heard any of her poems before, you’ll know that she is a wizard with words, and I can’t wait to hear her read from this new collection! In Romana Iorga’s Temporary Skin, the wound pulses, the grave beckons, the weather changes. The past is ever near, and the past is irretrievable. Folkloric, witty, and understated by turns, these poems shimmer with inventive metaphors, reversals, and self-skepticism, all of which remind us of the fundamental strangeness of existence, a strangeness we lose touch with amid the blur of the mundane. But more than that, Temporary Skin builds into a delightful exploration of the act of making itself and a meditation on language as method for restoring the fragments of our selves and our lives. “I am waiting to be returned to myself / in one piece,” Iorga writes—something we all long for, and something this collection gives us, poemby poem by poem. —Molly Spencer, Author of If the House, Hinge, and Invitatory Doors will open at 18h30 for the event, with the reading to start at 19h, with light refreshments provided. Please sign up here.

Science journalist and writer Laura Spinney is coming to the bookshop on 5th June to talk about her latest book Proto : How One Ancient Language Went Global. The book explores how one language emerged from the last ice age before exploding around the world until today its descendants constitute the world’s largest language family, and are the thread that connects Dante’s Inferno to the Rig Veda, The Lord of the Rings to the love poetry of Rumi. Indo-European languages are spoken by nearly half of humanity. How did this happen? Laura Spinney set out to answer that question, retracing the Indo-European odyssey across continents and millennia. With her we travel the length of the steppe, navigating the Caucasus, the silk roads and the Hindu Kush. We follow in the footsteps of nomads and monks, Amazon warriors and lion kings – the ancient peoples who spread these languages far and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the scientists on a thrilling mission to retrieve those lost languages: the linguists, archaeologists and geneticists who have reconstructed this ancient diaspora. What they have learned has vital implications for our modern world, since people and their languages are on the move again. Proto…

We cordially invite you to the Grand Opening of Books Books Books this Saturday, 3rd May, at our new address at Rue du Valentin 1. We have a few thousand more books, including new sections for poetry-lovers, crime-enthusiasts, romance-readers and fans of fiction in translation. On Saturday, the talented singer-songwriter JayD will play an acoustic set on his guitar at 10.30. At 14.00 we will serve tea and yummy, home-made scones. Finally, a CHF 100 gift certificate is up for grabs for the winner of our book hunt. You can take part in the book hunt any time during the day, you just need your phone and some determination. …and don’t forget to ask for your 10% discount on our new books through the month of May. Just ask for it at the till using the code word, “I would like a 10% discount, please”

The shelves have had their last lick of varnish, the elusive electrician was finally cornered and, as I write these words, Rachel is placing the first of 1000’s of new books on the shelves of the new bookshop. We are moving from our current location on Thursday, 24th & Friday 25th April, so if you need to stock up on books now’s your chance as we will be closed on those days. In the meantime, our second-hand books are CHF 1, and we still have a large collection of fiction, children’s books and non-fiction titles in stock at our current location. Come in, if only to say a fond goodbye to this place. The new location is at Rue du Valentin 1. Imagine walking away from the Riponne in the direction of Coop Cité. Turn right at the junction of le Pointu / Bruxelles Café / the Catholic church (currently behind scaffolding) onto the Rue Valentin. We are the second shop on the left. The nearest parking is Parking du Valentin. Buses 1 and 2 stop directly outside. We will be open at 9am on Saturday, 26th April. The Grand Opening is set for Saturday, 3rd May, when we will…

Susan Tiberghien is the founder of the Geneva Writer’s Group in 1993 and directed it until 2018, and the author of four memoires, two writing manuals and numerous essays and articles. She teaches workshops and courses online for C.G.Jungian Centers in the US, as well as for writing associations on both sides of the ocean. She is coming to the book shop on Wednesday, 9th April to talk about her latest book, Seasons of Love, which she describes as, “a call for integrity in a marriage*. In the memoir, she confronts the challenges that befall her American self, her French husband, and their family. Seeing marriage as a daily “coming together,” their continuous courtship and commitment enable them to wake each morning, after sixty-six years, grateful for another day of loving.  Doors will open at 18.30 and the event will start at 19.00. We will serve drinks and snacks. Please sign up here if you’d like to come. 

We’re very excited to have Caroline Bishop back in the bookshop on Wednesday, March 26th to talk about her new book, The Day I Left You. Caroline is a Lausanne-based writer and author of The Other Daughter and The Lost Chapter.  Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, The Day I Left You is a love story about Greta and Henry, who by chance meet in 1982 East Berlin and find a love that’s meant to last a lifetime—until Greta vanishes. Decades later, Henry still has unanswered questions. Greta loved him, and he loved her. They surmounted the odds to be together, and in his heart, he knows their marriage was happy. So why did she leave? And how well did he really know his wife? When a young mother visits Henry’s antique restoration shop, she unknowingly brings with her a clue that sends Henry on a journey to find out what happened to the love of his life all those years ago. Doors will open at 18.30 with light refreshments, the event will start at 19.00. If you would like to come, please sign up here. 

THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL. PLEASE CONTACT US TO GET ON THE WAITING LIST. We are very excited to announce that Hollie McNish will be at the bookshop on Tuesday, February 25th for a Poetry Reading! She is the bestselling author of Lobster and Slug and won the Ted Hughes award for new work in poetry with her poetry and parenting memoir Nobody Told Me. Matt Haig described her as, “One of the best poets we have.” Kae Tempest says she, “writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love”, words which are searingly true. She has two further poetry collections, Plum and Cherry Pie, one modern adaptation of the ancient Greek tragedy Antigone and, alongside fellow poet Sabrina Mahfouz, co-wrote Offside, a play relating the history of UK women’s football. As you can see, she loves writing! If you wish to attend, it is obligatory to register by contacting us. The venue may change at short notice from the bookshop to another location, so please make sure that you have registered for the event and that we have your email address to notify you! Doors will open at 18h30, with the reading to begin at 19h and we will be serving…

Our last used books swap was so popular, we’re doing it again! Join us on Saturday, November 30th, from 10am-2pm. Come by with your used books, and take one new-to-you used book for every book you bring (no textbooks, manuals, or encyclopedias, please!). We look forward to seeing you there!

How often have you wandered the streets of unknown cities and have, accidentally, wandered into a bookshop? Who doesn’t know the feeling of being on holidays and buying so many books you need an extra suitcase? This October, to celebrate fall and say goodbye to summer we’re hosting a book swap event. The goal is to leave your best (and worse?) books that you’ve read and leave with new ones. All the books in the book exchange are second hand, and part of our second-hand books will be part of the exchange! As well as books (and more books), we will provide you with tea and cozy vibes. So, will you be joining us on October 12th from 10am to 2pm? How many books will you bring? We’re looking forward to seeing you, and hearing about the adventures your books have gone through. Extra: to add a bit of autumn spice, there will also be a surprise shelf… come and find out what that is!

Come and join us on Tuesday 25 June at 7pm (doors open at 6:30) for the launch of The Road – A Guide to Crossing the Nepal Himalayas by Bike; a guidebook which aims to bust the myth that Nepal is only an extreme travel destination. The book provides a step by step guide to crossing the 1650km Middle Himalayan range (1000-3000m) by gravel or mountain bike. As well as a guidebook, the book also serves as a travelogue, with stories, anecdotes and stunning photos of daily life in this little visited part of the Himalayan mountains. We will be joined by the author, Richard Williams, and mountain biking legend Christoph Sauser (who wrote the foreword to the book), who will be in conversation with Matthew about this epic adventure. Light refreshments will be provided. All book profits will go to supporting projects in Nepal through the Swiss-based Driftwood Association that Rich established: driftwoodassociation.org.