Books Books Books

Jo Ann Hansen Rasch was one of the first – if not the first – writer we had at the bookshop, so it’s a great pleasure to have her back some 12 years later for the launch of her second poetry collection Dancing Light Sings. Born during the dramas of the last two or three years, the poems span a lifetime, revealing not only lighter moments, but darker legacies too. Jo Ann’s poetry is personal and written in simple confident language. Born in New Zealand, but living most of her adult life in Lutry, she has published a memoir, a book of poetry and many essays, short stories and poems. The event is taking place on Saturday, 9th April. We will serve light refreshments from 18.30 and the reading will start at 19.00. Please sign up here if you wish to attend.

Hey booklovers, it’s the annual book festival Le Livre Sur Les Quais in Morges this weekend! There are some big names on the English Program this year, and our very own Matthew Wake will be animating several events, including (but not limited to) events with Amitav Ghosh and John Boyne! Check out the program below! https://www.lelivresurlesquais.ch/programme/

Save a space in your diary this weekend for Le Livre sur les quais, the annual literary festival in Morges. This year the English programme consists of – ahem – actually just me talking to Jonathan Coe on Sunday at 16.30. We’ll be discussing his new novel, Mr Wilder and Me, which follows a naive young woman called Calista who sets out from Athens into the wider world and finds herself working for the famed Hollywood director Billy Wilder. You have to sign up beforehand for all the events this COVID year, so visit this page for the full programme. To sign up for the Jonathan Coe event specifically, choose ‘English Programme’ from the ‘Affichez le programme par type d’évènement’ menu. I’ve interviewed Jonathan before and he is a charming and engaging speaker. It’s definitely worth browsing the entire programme, there is bound to be something that strikes your fancy.   Looking forward to seeing you there! Matthew

Come to the bookshop on Saturday, 7th December at 4pm for the launch of Carla Drysdale’s new poetry collection – All Born Perfect. The poems are written with Carla’s trademark candour and craft, combining a poet’s lyricism and the matter-of-fact tone of a survivor. The works depict a working mother bringing up two sons and reveal that the mother’s acts of love and labour provoke her own childhood trauma. Carla Drysdale’s poetry books include All Born Perfect (Kelsay Books, 2019); Inheritance (Finishing Line Press, 2016) and Little Venus (Tightrope Books, 2010). Her poems have appeared in many literary journals, including Cleaver Magazine, LIT, Literary Mama, the Literary Review of Canada, Peacock Journal, PRISM, International Offshoots: Writing from Geneva, The Fiddlehead, What Rough Beast (a project of Indolent Books), and Nasty Women Poets: An Unapologetic Anthology of Subversive Verse. In 2014 she was awarded PRISM’s annual Earle Birney poetry prize. Of her latest book, All Born Perfect, poet Molly Peacock writes, “The marvel of this collection, abounding with unexpected metaphors and driven rhythms, is the deep understanding of time reached by the epiphany of the title poem: All Born Perfect.” Born in London, Ontario, Carla lives in Ornex, France. Please sign up via Facebook or Doodle if you wish to come….

We’re delighted to announce that Clare O’Dea will be at the bookshop on Saturday, 9th November talking about her new book The Naked Irish: Portrait of a Nation Beyond the Clichés. Like her bestselling title, The Naked Swiss, her latest book is an insightful and revealing examination of the reality of modern Ireland behind the national myths. Are the Irish a nation of emigrants if we have the second highest foreign-born population in Europe? Do we really hate the English and want a united Ireland? Are the Irish really friendly or just faking it? The event starts at 4pm and we’ll be serving tea and scones. The talk will be followed by a book signing. For more information on Clare and her book please visit her website : https://clareodea.com/2019/10/11/the-naked-irish-in-all-good-bookshops Looking forward to seeing you then!

We will be back open as usual from 9am Monday.

Cast your mind back 10 years to when the global financial crisis hit, when America took North Korea off its list of terrorist countries, and Kim Kardashian chose a new dress. Lost amongst these headlines was the news that Lausanne had a new English bookshop. Situated in a converted fitness studio in the Globus building and stocking 6,000 new books, Books Books Books opened its doors on 13th October 2008. Feels to me like a good time for a drink! Two even! We’re so excited, we’re having two parties to celebrate!   Friday, November 2nd  The first party will feature Richard Williams, sometime founder of Holy Cow, now the owner of Blackbird and most recently author of Mostyn Thomas and the Big Rave (Graffeg, 2018). While running his casual dining empire Richard found time to write his first novel, and it’s a good one.   Set in Little Emlyn, Pembrokeshire, it tells the story of how Mostyn, a farmer on the brink of bankruptcy, and Jethro, a young raver, decide to hold a rave to save Mostyn’s farm. But as young revellers begin to pour in from all corners of the county things do not go to plan; moneylenders, drug dealers, the county council and the…