What’s on in York: Kate Spicer – Lost Dog, A Love Story

York Explore

19th February 2020

@ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm 

£5

Book tickets »

Join Kate Spicer and Wolfy as she discusses her life-affirming memoir about the myth of modern womanhood and the joy in the  relationship between human and canine.

Kate is a middle-aged woman trying to bring some order in her messy life. When she adopts a lurcher called Wolfy, the shabby rescue dog saves her from herself and restores peace and love to her human relationships. Redeemed, life is looking up. But then the dog disappears. Will she save him – and can she save herself from slipping back into her worst habits?

As she trudges endlessly calling his name in the hopeless hope she may find him, she runs into other people’s landscapes and lives, finding allies amongst not just the army of dog walkers that come out to help her but psychics, newsreaders, celebrities, homeless people and one mysterious midnight jogger.

Trying to find her dog tests her relationship, and her sanity, to their limits – and gets her thinking about life, and why things have turned out as they have for her. A brilliant, life-affirming memoir, which reaches into both life’s darkest and most uplifting places, critics and readers alike agree that Lost Dog is a book like no other about the myth of modern womanhood, the depths we can fall to and the enduring mystery and joy in the relationship between human and canine.

  Explore York in partnership with Fox Lane Books

What’s on in York: A Harvest of Words

Wednesday February 12th
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Free

The Bootham Writers’ Group launch their second anthology.

Seven writers from the Bootham Writers’ Group read from their new anthology. An interesting and often amusing mix of memoir, poetry, short stories, and flash fiction. Copies of the anthology and other recent publications from the group will be available for sale.

Acomb Library gets new roof

Work is well underway in re-roofing Acomb Explore Library.

The Library is due to get a further makeover and extension in 2021 as part of the Councils modernisation programme.

Nearby the first of the new houses on the Acomb Bowling Green site on Front Street are nearing completion.

Hopefully completion of the development will allow for a more comprehensive plan for the use of the remaining land to be considered.

The land was purchased by the Council to facilitate an extension to the library in 2009. However successive Council leaders have chosen to allow the area to become increasingly derelict during the intervening period.

What’s on in York: Nuisance Inspector – A live audio drama by Paul Birch

February 8 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Free

Extra date after two hugely successful sell out shows.

“I was blown away with the creativity of the event and production.”

“I was thoroughly immersed.”

“A significant success.”

Experience a sinister slice of York’s history by joining us for a live retelling of the drama behind the Hungate Clearances.

More details https://nuisanceinspector.eventbrite.co.uk

Where York Explore, Library Square, York YO1 7DS

When Saturday 8 February – Show starts at 7.30pm.

Doors open at 7.00pm.

Please arrive in good time for start of the show.

Entry FREE suitable for age 11 upwards

Booking Tickets available www.nuisance-inspector.eventbrite.co.uk

What’s on in York: Ira Wolf – Live in Libraries York

Friday February 7th @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Ira Wolf

A sensational coup for our Live in Libraries York season of intimate concerts.

Ira Wolf was named one of Spotify’s ‘Best of Folk/Americana 2016’ and ‘Fresh Folk, Best of 2017’ artists.

Ticket link

What’s on in York: Haven’t they grown with Sophie Hannah

Tang Hall Explore at The Centre @ Burnholme

Friday 31st January 2020

7:00 pm – 8:00 pm 

£6

Book tickets »

oin Sophie Hannah as she discusses her latest psychological suspense thriller, Haven’t They Grown.

Explore York in partnership with Fox Lane Books and York Literature Festival presents Sophie Hannah, described in The Times as ‘one of the great unmissables of the genre –intelligent, classy, and with a wonderfully gothic imagination’ at Tang Hall Explore at The Centre@Burnholme on 31st January 2020

Haven’t They Grown

All Beth has to do is drive her son to his Under-14s away match, watch him play, and bring him home.

Just because she knows that her former best friend lives near the football ground, that doesn’t mean she has to drive past her house and try catch a glimpse of her. Why would Beth do that, and risk dredging up painful memories? She hasn’t seen Flora Braid for twelve years.

But she can’t resist. She parks outside Flora’s house and watches from across the road as Flora and her children, Thomas and Emily step out of the car. Except…

There’s something terribly wrong.

Flora looks the same, only older – just as Beth would have expected. It’s the children that are the problem. Twelve years ago, Thomas and Emily Braid were five and three years old. Today, they look precisely as they did then. They are still five and three. They are Thomas and Emily without a doubt – Beth hears Flora call them by their names – but they haven’t changed at all. They are no taller, no older.

Why haven’t they grown?

What’s on in York: Adventures in the Cherry Orchard – Anton Chekhov and me

Wednesday January 29th 
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
£5
Why is Anton Chekhov so beloved and called “the father of the modern theatre”? Helen Wilson of York Settlement Community Players will explain why through anecdotes and a little biography; casting a light on why he called his plays comedies.

Come and toast Chekhov’s 160th birthday with a glass of vodka or wine. Be entertained by extracts of his work from the cast of The Seagull (27th February – 7th March at York Theatre Royal). As she directs the fourth of his major plays Helen shares her enthusiasm for a great Russian dramatist.

To book tickets for The Seagull production at York Theatre Royal visit: https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/the-seagull/

To book tickets for this event, Helen’s talk on Anton Chekhov, please press the booking button.

What’s on in York: Finding the words – Stanza Showcase

York Explore

23rd January 2020

@ 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm 

Free

Book tickets »

Members of York Stanza

Twelve poets from York’s renowned Stanza Group to entertain and enthral you.

Carole Bromley is the York Stanza rep. Latest publication, Sodium 136 (Calder Valley).Janet Dean is a novelist, playwright and poet living in York.Joseph Chaplain is an unpublished poet currently living in the Peak District.Mary Ann Dearlove is always travelling and likes to write about her experiences in far off places.Melody Clarke is a fresh, new, contemporary, untrodden, recent, modish York Stanza member who owns a thesaurus.Miles Salter sings, writes and likes cheese.Nairn Kennedy lives in Leeds.Nick Boreham has been longlisted for the National Poetry Prize and his poems have appeared in a range of magazines.Patrick Lodge is an Irish-Welsh poet living in Yorkshire whose latest collection is “Remarkable Occurrences” ( Valley Press, 2019).Phil Connolly has been enjoying himself at the Stanza for several years now and is looking forward to hearing everyone’s poems and reading a couple himself.Richard Carpenter writes poems and plants trees.Rob Miles is a Leeds-based multi-award winning poet, widely published in magazines and anthologies.Finding the Words is our monthly poetry evening featuring poets from Yorkshire and beyond. Discover new poetry in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. Bar available. Booking advised.

York Explore Phone:01904 552828 Email:york@exploreyork.org.uk