July 1
@
6:30 PM
–
8:00 PM
BST
‘He knew that this was as close to the sea as he could ever get.’
Join us at La Biblioteka as we welcome local author Susan Clegg and feminist publisher Linen Press to celebrate the publication of The Dolphin.
In 1937 Larry Lambert has a vision of a magnificent pub built on frozen fields ‘like a grassy sea’. It is an echo of a single, failed, gay encounter in a fishing boat, and in its construction he invests his energy and his thwarted dreams. He calls it The Dolphin.
And so unfolds a moving exploration of the constraining expectations of society on three generations of one family. For Larry, there is the cruel impossibility of being gay in 1930s Britain and his ensuing loveless marriage with the embittered Rosemary. For his daughter, Joanie, there is the crushing weight of duty and respectability during the post-war years. Only granddaughter Lottie pulls free and finds the freedom her grandfather and mother were denied.
Larry’s decision to build The Dolphin sparks events that play out over decades, tearing one generation apart while bringing another back together.
With artfully simple prose, Susan Clegg invites you to look beyond the surface. Insightful, understated and finely observed.
See more about the book, and pre-order a signed & dedicated copy, click here:
https://labiblioteka.co/product/the-dolphin/
Free
June 3
@
4:00 PM
–
6:00 PM
BST
Join us as we welcome Kandy Diamond and her knitting machine for a live demo and hands-on mini-workshop to launch her new book Discovering Machine Knitting (The Crowood Press Ltd).
Come and try out machine knitting for yourself, and make yourself a knitted bookmark to take home!
This is the ultimate guide to machine knitting. This book has been designed to help you demystify machine knitting. Perfect for beginners, it starts with how the machine works and how stitches are formed, all the way through to shaping garment panels to your desired size and fit.
Each chapter focuses on different skills that build throughout the book, with lots of projects so you can put the skills into practice and make some knits for yourself. Designer Profiles at the end of each chapter showcase the work of professional machine knitters to provide context, inspiration and celebrate the huge potential for creativity in machine knitting. From troubleshooting and looking after the machine to using more advanced techniques such as intarsia and shaping, this book will help you fall in love with your knitting machine.
If you work through the step-by-step instructions and projects in this book, by the end of it you will be designing and knitting your own garments!
Free
18 June 2022
@
8:00 PM
–
10:30 PM
BST
Part historical, part political but most of all – hugely inspirational.
Acclaimed British author Lemn Sissay OBE – a BAFTA-nominated, International prize-winning writer, poet, playwright and broadcaster – will keep the audience enthralled with this scoop of an event for Sheffield and Migration Matters Festival.
He will share his rollercoaster life story and read powerful extracts from his Sunday Times best-selling memoir, My Name is Why.
The book reflects on his childhood in care, self-expression and Britishness, and in doing so, exploring the institutional care system, race, family and the meaning of home.
This event will also feature a set by Sarah Orola
The Land of Many Waters flows through me. My words transcend boundaries and give voice to a nation. Born in Ireland to parents of Nigerian and Guyanese descent has given me a beautiful yet complex insight into my diverse world.
My journey of self-awareness is heavily reflected in my poetry. Scribbling my thoughts on paper and bringing those words alive has helped me explore my afro-caribbean identity to share with others.
£12
/ £10 (conc.) / £3 (stream) / Free
