Connect with your inner poet...in Mill Lane

Poet and yogi Mira Mehta is launching a series of poetry workshops, beginning on 11th May, and running on the second Tuesday of the month through the summer.

Particpants will discuss their own work as well as classic and contemporary poetry and topics covered will include Words And Meanings, Atrributes and Defects of Poetry, the Ornamentation of Language and Hidden Meanings.

The venues is Room 3, The Rooms Above, Westheath Yard, 174 Mill Lane, NW6 and the cost is £10 per workshop.

Mehta has published in both her chosen fields--poetry and yoga--and also runs her own yoga school.

Margaret dabbles in Wordsworth

If you're looking for pre-election distractions next week, you could do a lot worse than to drop by the Magdala pub in South End Green, NW3, next Tuesday (May 4th) where the Passionate Performers are producing a talk by no less a literary figure than Dame Margaret Drabble on her personal passion for William Wordsworth.

The event begins at 7.30 and costs £7.50, or £6 concessions/students.

Mitchell makes art live

The Independent called him 'one of the most brilliantly inventive writers of this, or any other, country' and now author David Mitchell (no, not the one off the telly) is celebrating the launch of his latest oeuvre, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet, with a day of interactive art.

Each visitor at the Candid Arts trust will be invited by Sceptre Books and Subject To Change to personalise a house and become part of a perfectly formed, eclectic cardboard world...or simply relax and enjoy the installation.

Mitchell's new novel is set in 1799 on the artificial island of Dejima, a Dutch trading post atached by a guarded bridge to mainland Japan. With foreigners forbidden from crossing Japan's borders and the Japanese themselves equally barred from leaving, the island is a purpose built microcosm housing those who strove against the odds to open trade with Japan.

The isntallation is unveiled on May 4th in the upper gallery at Candid (nearest tube Angel).Entry costs a fiver, which includes access to art materials. Book via www.sceptrebooks.co.uk/markartlive.

My! Haven't you grown?

It's a truth, universally acknowledged, that once the Easter holidays are done and dusted, the school summer break is only just round the corner. Parents, already quaking at the thought of 6 long weeks to fill with activities, might like to check out our newly-expanded childrens'/teen section.

There's a whole new bay simply crammed with an array of goodies to entertain, amuse and even educate (by stealth of course), as well as tempting even the most reluctant reader in your life. As previously mentioned, we have a host of titles specially designed to make journies with littlies simply fly by (volcanoes allowing): doodle books, i-spy books, 'things to do' cards and books and lots more.

And don't forget, if you and your young 'uns are already electioned-out, we have the marvellous local author Anthony McGowan joining us at 6.30pm on May 6th to read to us from his universe-rocking new book, Einstein's Underpants.

So, remember, you heard it here first: on May 6th VOTE UNDERPANTS!!

George & The Gatehouse

George Eliot fans should head to Highgate this May, where the Gatehouse Theatre team who previously staged acclaimed productions of Emma and Far From The Madding Crowd, are turning their attention to Daniel Deronda.

The production runs between 5th--29th May, with a special gala evening on the 5th in aid of Raphael, the Jewish counselling service.

Tickets cost between £10 (concessions) and £20 for the gala event and can be booked via 0208 340 3488 or upstairsatthegatehouse.com

Ps interesting fact: bet you didn't know that The Gatehouse is London's highest theatre at 446ft above sea level...you simply never know when insider info like this will come in handy!

Exclusive: 2 for 1 on New End Theatre tickets

We love a good night out at the theatre...and we especially like supporting local arts establishments, so imagine our joy when the team at New End Theatre, Hampstead offered us (and you, our lovely customers) 2 tickets for the price of 1 on their latest production, Mr Maugham At Home, which runs from 21 April--16 May.

Anthony Curtis' new play, directed by Ninon Jerome, highlights the many strands to Somerset Maugham's exceptional life and career: playwright, novelist, short story writer and also MI6 secret agent. Maugham's villa on the French Riviera was one of the great literary and social salons of the 20s and 30s and among the many literati and gliterati welcomed there were the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Churchill and Noel Coward.

Mr Maugham At Home also examines his failed marriage to Syrie Wellcome and his passion for the American ambulance driver he met while working as a stretcher bearer in the First World War.

...At Home promises to be a sparkling production....and somehow my own nights at home seem a little dull in comparison!

Tickets cost £16 (£14 concessions) and can be obtained from www.newendtheatre.co.uk or via 0870 033 2733.

Pick Of the Pockets

Next time you're in the mood for a nifty read at a good price, check out our Pocket Essential sale; we reckon there's something to suit all tastes--and at £2.50 or £1.99 a go, there's most definitely fare for even the slimmest budget.

The perfect companion for the journey to work, a lunchtime read, or a snippet to punctuate a major reading project, we've got collections on film--everything from Carry On to Corman, Tarantino Q to Hepburn A--and literature: Philip K Dick, Douglas Adams, Herge and many more.

Find them on the spinner by our Art table...or just ask at the counter.

Bargainistas might also want to take a protracted snoop around our sales boxes this spring where the bargain bulbs we planted last autumn have blossomed into hundreds of lovely new and varied titles.

C'mon: bag yourself a bargain...you know you want to!

I Spy...something to keep the kids happy!

We've all been there: sitting in a sweltering car/train/plane (delete as necessary) with the kiddiwinkies all restless, bored, bickering and endlessly asking 'Are we nearly there yet??'

Finally, help is at hand for all parents planning trips with kids: Michelin have very sensibly republished those dinky little I Spy books--which have been unavailable for the past 8 years. You remember: lovely glossy little books with boxes to check off when you spot your classic car/bird/creepy crawly/tree etc etc.

The series has been updated too and there are now editions covering things to spot in London, on the motorway, in the street, the garden: you name it!

They're sweetly nostalgic--but your kids won't notice that--and at £2.50 they're good enough value to stock up on a few!

Still with little travellers in mind, we've also got a whole bunch of Usborne's excellent Spotter's cards: Things To Do On A Plane/Seashore/Airport, plus the new Travel Doodles set, and Bugs and Trees Nature Cards.

You'll find all of these--plus our long-time favourites, the Doodles Books--in our children's section...where they're easy to spot (sic)

Some blogs are better than others....

Paulo Coelo, Neil Gaiman and Emily Benet are among the 28 authors shortlisted for the inaugural Author Blog Awards, run by CompletelyNovel.com with publishers including Random House amd Penguin.

The awards were set up to recognise writers who connect with their readers online and publishers such as Bloomsbury and Headline are offering books to incentivise voting--so far over 15,000 have nominated more than 500 blogs and microblogs: you can make your mark by voting at www.completelynovel.com.

A date with Dame Beryl

There's still time to book tickets to meet the inimitable Beryl Bainbridge, who is talking at New End Theatre this Sunday at 7.30pm.

She is, as you know, doyenne of dozens of literary awards, has written countless screenplays and novels and is, as they say, a bit of a national treasure. You can find most of her wildly entertaining tomes in our fiction section should you want to refresh the memory before heading out to NW3 to see her.

Tickets cost £10 from newendtheatre.co.uk or via 0870 033 2733 and we're betting that Dame B will prove every inch the perfect literary raconteur.

Baby grand!

Now here's something I wish had been around when my lovely girlies were little: classical concerts for bsbies!

The aptly-named Classical Babies hosts chamber concerts for tiddlers and their parents at the O2 Centre, Finchley Road.

The next performance is 16th April at 11am, the concert lasts for 45 minutes and tickets cost £8 (for adult and baby together)

Book your place by calling 07966 446152 or emailing classicalbabies@yahoo.com)