Last year, Creation Theatre’s Doctor Faustus, staged in the world-famous Norrington Room here at Blackwell’s in Oxford, wowed audiences with its chilling and thought-provoking depiction of a man so hungry for power that he sells his soul to the devil. It was a production that thousands will never forget.

This year, Creation Theatre are back and have teamed up with The Factory to bring us first Hamlet and then The Odyssey. (For further details, see the section at the end of this piece and keep bang up to date on all the news and gossip by following #Hodyssey on Twitter)

Last week some cast members from The Factory came to see the Norrington Room. The actors explored the geography of the space, working out entrance and exit routes, and musing on the wealth of dramatic potential offered up. They proceeded to do an acoustic check so that they could understand the sonic properties of the room and then there was a photoshoot as well as a filmed trailer.

Many of you know the Norrington Room, I’m sure. It’s worth mentioning, though, that every single day we get new visitors to the bookshop who come and discover the Norrington Room for the first time. There’s an area just at the bottom of the stairs which we call – with colloquial familiarity, ‘The Gun Turret’. I’m not sure who coined the phrase, but it’s been called that for years, due, I’m sure, to the fact that it looks a little like a strategic outpost from where one can oversee and guard the rest of the room. Anyway, upon ‘The Gun Turret’ we often have some of our most eye-catching displays, and if you’re ever the bookseller creating said displays, it is not unusual to hear gasps of awe from behind you as those first-time visitors take in the majesty and scale of the Norrington Room.

The other thing one can often witness is how many visitors’ voices suddenly hush many decibels, in a sort of unconscious mark of respect to the room. This is always interesting – this isn’t a library, we don’t demand silence, and yet more often than not, silence descends!

And then of course, after the gasp, after the silence, a visitor begins to take in all those books. Last time Creation were here, their Stage Manager remarked on what a remarkable theatrical ‘set’ the Norrington Room had proved. If this was a film, then yes, you can imagine it, but in what other theatrical production could you imagine the backdrop of this vast quantity of books?

During the daytime, the Norrington Room is the academic heartland of the bookshop – people browse, amongst other subjects, Politics, Business & Economics, Law, Science, Biology & Medicine, Computing, Philosophy and Religion.

In the evening, magnificent author events often take place here and in March and April, Hamlet and then The Odyssey will ring out amongst those tomes and volumes . . . We would be delighted if you would join us.

Hamlet

5th March – 24th March

A Factory Production

Directed by Tim Carroll

The brainchild of director Tim Carroll, The Factory bring their flagship show to Oxford this spring. So far almost 15,000 audience members have helped create a one-night only, sometimes unexpected and always surprising, interpretation of Hamlet. Now it’s your turn. A rigorous exploration of Shakespeare’s verse combined with The Factory’s spirit of mischief and spontaneous play allow the company to delve into the endless possibilities within Shakespeare’s greatest work.

Note to audience:

Every audience member is asked to bring a random object to be used as a prop during the performance. Everything is welcome, large or small, ordinary or bizarre

The Odyssey

29th March – 28th April

A co-production between Creation and The Factory

Directed by Tim Carroll

The myth of Odysseus’ epic journey was ancient when Homer committed it to writing. Almost three thousand years later the stories still echo through our narrative memory. They are tales of famous heroes and villains; Athena, Zeus and the Cyclops, and those you might not know yet; six-headed Scylla, the whirlpool Charybdis and the lethargic Lotus-Eaters.

The Factory turn their unique spirit of spontaneity, playfulness and imagination to Homer’s epic story this spring. Combining movement, song, text and improvisation, each performance will be an original retelling that recreates the spirit of one of the world’s oldest oral storytelling traditions.

Tickets range from £10 – £29

Book online at

www.creationtheatre.co.uk

or call our Box Office on 01865 766266

We’ve known for months now that Creation Theatre were bringing The Factory to Blackwell’s in March and April with two productions: Hamlet (much acclaimed already and seen by around 15,000 people so far, in venues ranging from The Globe to a London street corner) and The Odyssey (a World Premiere).

It’s about now, however, that the excitement really mounts . . . It’s only weeks away, tickets are selling, anticipation is rising, preparations are more than underway.

Hamlet comes first and without doubt, one of the most intriguing aspects of the production is that the actors put their names in a hat at the beginning of the evening to decide who is playing which part. How versatile is that?! In addition to this, audience members are encouraged to bring their own props, which the actors will work into the play. And of course, all this means that every evening will be a unique experience – the production that you go and see on Monday won’t be the same as the one your friend goes and sees on Tuesday.

The Odyssey will demonstrate the same innovative and dynamic spirit. The Factory won’t necessarily attempt to tell the entire story of The Odyssey every night, (the epic poem is over 12,000 lines long), so instead, audiences will get a different book or books each night – one night it could be the Cyclops, the next night The Lotus Eaters, the night after that the Slaying of the Suitors . . .

Excited? We are and we hope you’ll be able to join us for one (or both) of these productions which will be staged – just as Doctor Faustus was last year – in our world-famous Norrington Room.

Hamlet runs from 5th-24th March. The Odyssey runs from 29th March-28th April. The Creation Box Office number: 01865 766266

 The Shakespeare Balloon Debate

Blackwell’s Bookshop, 48-51 Broad Street, Oxford

Who is the greatest figure of all from the plays of William Shakespeare? What does ‘greatest’ mean in this context – the noblest? The most compassionate? The most enduring? The cleverest? The funniest? The character who has the most to teach us?

 Join the discussion at our Shakespeare Balloon Debate on Thursday 23rd February here at Blackwell’s Bookshop and have your say!(Doors open at 7pm, debate begins at 7.30pm)

Our Shakespearean balloonists are:

Katherine Duncan-Jones: Mistress Quickly

Emma Smith: Falstaff

Simon Palfrey: Macbeth

Simon Muller: Horatio

Jonathan Bate: Rosalind

 Tom Bird: Peter Quince

Tickets are £3 and can be obtained by telephoning or visiting the Customer Service Department on the Second Floor.

Telephone 01865 333623.

It has been quite a year for us and I am happy to say that we have had a brilliant Christmas – the death of quality, independent bookshops seems to have been greatly exagerated!

Next year promises to be another year of excitement and ambition for us – but at the core of all we will do will be a commitment to printed books and the written word. It has served us well for 132 years.

I often found myself hurtling from the top floor to the basement (after the initial “this-place-is-huge!” bearings-based confusion subsided) to manage all manner of things: arranging displays, organising events, questing for books. The rest of my time would be spent at the desk working on blog pieces, press releases, poster ads, emails, tweets, product research, presentations and the odd bit of googling.

The events themselves ranged from an informal cocktail evening to the opening ceremony for Blackwell’s Wantage. In attendance of ten events across ten weeks, I came to understand the necessary preparation. So much work is done far in advance to ensure a hiccup free evening, from establishing time and place, organising ticket sales and one-off promotions, checking there is enough space/furniture/drinking glasses, to sometimes even making travel arrangements for the speaker. Then there is the last minute prep, left for the day of (in the case of arranging seating) or sometimes until just moments before (in the case of pouring wine or ensuring the speaker is happy and relaxed). Of all the events my favourite would have to be Owen Jones: ‘Chavs’. It was a normal Blackwell’s author talk but Jones was lovely and gave a lucid and entertaining speech with an equally enjoyable Q & A session (although my meeting with Peppa Pig is a really close second).

Spending time in the temporary Christmas shop in Wantage gave me something else to get excited about. I learnt how to manage a small and temporary space; gained experience in handling events in a different environment; began to appreciate the effect of the different cliental, location and store size; and even made decisions regarding suitable stock. Other important areas of business were uncovered as I breached the threshold into the world of business meetings. Sitting in on and sometimes partaking in these meetings (for example, a routine meet-up with OUP’s head of publicity and Blackwell’s own review of it’s events programme) was an eye-opening privilege. It enhanced my understanding of inter-company relations, standard procedures, targets and much much more.

I have also been fortunate enough to work part time in the literature and language department during my stay. From this I became better able draw connections between the departments and in doing so enhanced my understanding of the company as a whole. The position also meant I was introduced to more of the supportive network of Blackwell’s staff. The entire events team, the admin staff, and the lit-lang staff made working as an intern and a bookseller more than a challenging experience. With their guidance and their advice at my disposal I was able to significantly develop my skills and knowledge of the workplace which is exactly what I set out to do when I applied for the internship.

Heather Kimpton
Events and Marketing Intern…for only 10 more minutes

In said room, starting Thursday 1st December, we’ll be holding a series of talks every Thursday from 1pm. These are free so please just turn up and enjoy!

The talks will be on a variety of topics, covering almost anything from Jenga to Da Vinci – not to mention the Large Hadron Collider!

So if you fancy a lunchtime that’s a highly educational and occasionally entertaining experience, our speakers, will be sharing their wisdom in the Norrington Room – keep Thursday lunchtimes free!

1st December – Martin Kemp Christ to Coke

Martin Kemp will be talking about both his new book Christ to Coke – a consideration of the rise of visual icons and how they continue to function, from Christ to the Coke bottle, and the updated edition of Leonardo, the first publication to include two newly discovered Leonardo works.

“Informative, funny, sad and surprising” The Guardian

8th December – Victor Glynn: So, You Wanna Make Movies?

Blackwell’s very own Victor Glynn was for many years an award-winning producer as well as a senior film executive including time with Sony Pictures and Zenith Productions (producers of Inspector Morse). Come and learn about the not so gentle scientific art of film production.

“gifted, cynical, venomous, bitterly funny and decidedly un-pc.” Arena

15th December – Frank Close The Infinity Puzzle

Frank Close, eminent Oxford University physicist and award-winning writer, will be discussing his book The Infinity Puzzle, divulging the inside story of the forty years of research, breakthrough and endeavour that brought about the Large Hadron Collider.

“admirably lucid” The Independent

Christmas Break

12th January – Nigel Hastilow: Politics Seriously Harms You and Others Around You

Journalist Nigel Hastilow, once a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party, will be delivering an entertaining talk on his new novel “The Smoking Gun” in particular and about the state of U.K. politics in general

“Nigel Hastilow has found a new outlet for his undoubted talents” Birmingham Mail

19th January – Will Hutton Them and Us: Why We Need a Fair Society

Recently available in paperback, Them and Us by author and journalist Will Hutton, provides an incisive look at how reconstructing a bust financial system cannot be done without a wholesale revision of the wider system and values on which it is based.

“Will Hutton’s hour has arrived…ambitious, passionate, imaginative” Financial Times

2nd February – Nicholas Perkins & Alison Wiggins The Romance of the Middle Ages

From King Arthur and the Round Table to Alexander the Great’s global conquests, the stories of romance appear in some of the most beautiful books of the Middle Ages. Nicholas Perkins and Alison Wiggins provide an engaging, scholarly, and richly illustrated guide to medieval romance and its continuing influence on literature and art. The text will be part of a major exhibition opening 28th January in the Bodleian Library.

Friday 18th November at 7pm

Blackwell’s Bookshop is proud to present a unique event: the showing of a moving film made by an accomplished writer and artist . . .

Blackwell’s former writer in residence, Roma Tearne, will be back at the bookshop for the showing and discussion of her short film The Swimmer: A True Story created with composer and sound artist, Paul Whitty.

The acclaimed writer and artist has written four novels, been long-listed for the Orange Prize and short-listed for the Costa Book Awards First Novel Prize. Roma’s week at Blackwell’s last year was an artistic fusion of serious literary investigation, democracy in action and performance art, so we are excited to welcome her back and to promise an entirely unique experience for our customers…

Roma based the film on an idea from The Swimmer, the novel that placed her in the running for the Orange Prize. Along with Paul Whitty, a sonic artist and composer, she created a combination of vivid colours and sounds, the editing of which has resulted in thirty minutes of moving footage. It must be made explicit that this is not a film of the novel but more of a companion to it. Roma herself describes it as ‘a parallel text, another way of seeing, a space between the events that lie within the novel; a different reality, if you like.’ In the film, linear story telling is replaced by fragmented sets of idea, feeling and metaphor. The overall result is a sensory kaleidoscope of sharp, vibrant sound (you’ll wonder just how much sound can provoke thoughts) and striking vision.

The film mixes footage of real Sri Lankan refugees with new footage shot in Suffolk. Nprofessional actors were chosen for their spontaneity and authenticity. A Jaffna Tamil dancer from Ipswich also performs, her presence on Aldeburgh’s shingle beach a striking visual metaphor for East meeting West. Incredibly, the film was shot on an iPhone and the production budget was tiny, although when watching you may forget due to the quality of both the cinematography and the content.

The beach and the other areas in which filming took place have been photographed and are collated in the film’s accompanying catalogue which also contains an audio element consisting of a CD of the sounds of Suffolk. The bleak beauty of the East coast in winter is spectacularly captured across the various media – the entire project, a celebration of Suffolk. In addition to maintaining the sense of place generated in the novel, the film also suitably addresses the characters, using an interview format to profile Ria, a middle aged woman, accustomed to her solitude who falls in love with an illegal immigrant from Sri Lanka. Similarly, the sounds of the film are derived from the text but have been created specifically for the film. Essentially, the film remains true to the spirit of the book.

Earlier in the day there will be a symposium hosted by the Sonic Art Research Unit at Oxford Brookes entitled Writing Sound and exploring the way that writers evoke soundscapes in novels, poems, diaries, travelogues and other types of writing.

Roma’s blog contains further information about the process of making the film and its debut showing at the Venice Biennale.

The film lasts for half an hour and will be followed by a Q & A with Roma Tearne and Paul Whitty.

Tickets cost £3 and can be obtained by telephoning or visiting the Customer Service Department, Second Floor, Blackwell’s Bookshop, Oxford. Telephone 01865 333623.

Alternatively, please email:

events.oxford@blackwell.co.uk

From the point of a view of a bookseller and events manager, it is thrilling to have an event with Steven Pinker. I described him on our posters and leaflets as ‘one of the gargantuan intellectuals of our age’ and that was no idle publicity-seeking boast – he really is that highly regarded, ranking alongside the likes of Noam Chomsky, Umberto Eco, Richard Dawkins and Amartya Sen for sheer credibility and standing as a great and influential thinker.

But aside from my bookseller’s desire to, well, (drum roll, fanfare of trumpets), sell books . . . I am also a fervent reader and “The Better Angels of Our Nature” has been setting fire to my mind recently. You know this by now – but his book contends that – if you draw the camera right back so that it is looking at the history of humanity from the vantage point of millennia and centuries – humankind is getting less violent, rather than more violent.

Think about the Twentieth Century, with its two World Wars and catalogue of atrocities throughout its hundred-year span; or simply turn on the news today, and perhaps you would baulk at the very notion. So, Steven Pinker is an optimist, say many who hear that he’s written such a book. Although it does seem that many who are reaching lazily for the condemnation stick have not actually read the book, if that’s not a disgraceful suggestion on my part!

Steven Pinker manages to accomplish several terribly admirable things in the writing of this book. I’ll list them here:

1. First of all, I’d like to point out the sheer magnificent scope of this book. If Thomas Pynchon wrote non-fiction . . . seriously, these pages touch on history, science, philosophy, psychology, anthropology – there’s no doubt that here we have a coruscating mind at work.

2. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, Steven Pinker manages both to propel his argument forward and to find time for anecdote and even humour. This book is very readable! Perhaps that is why Steven Pinker is sometimes referred to as a rock-star academic – it is true that there is an insouciance here which can only really be carried of by someone in complete command of their subject and argument: another tick in the box for Pinker.

3. This book is fascinating! One doesn’t make an argument like this without drawing on expansive wells of knowledge and research. From Homer to the Bible; from Slavery to Medieval Torture; from the civilising effect of table manners* to the emergence of tribal societies – there’s an enormous amount to learn from this book, and what’s more, it’s all strung together rather coherently in pursuance of persuading us, its readers, of its central premise!

*Norbert Elias, author of ‘The Civilising Process’ (Wiley, 2000), is referred to as ‘the most important thinker you have never heard of.’ It is to Elias that Pinker says he owes an epiphany regarding the use of a knife to assist in the eating of peas, something he had questioned since being a child.

4. Is Pinker correct? Each reader will decide for themselves, although I would suggest that this is a nutritious and fascinating book whether you agree with him or not. A number of people to whom I have mentioned this book have recoiled in disbelief bordering on horror at the seemingly rather callous suggestion that violence is on the decrease. Their look has seemed to say, ‘Have you not watched the news these last ten years?’ / ‘Are you idiotically unaware how aggressive the streets are these days?’ / Do you know nothing about the Twentieth Century?’ Honestly – I haven’t decided if I agree with all of Pinker’s conclusions – but he makes a fascinating case.

5. Finally, I’d like to hold aloft this book as one that clearly demonstrates the very greatest qualities of Non-Fiction – devilishly thought-provoking, accessible without being facile (you have to work a little bit for the nutritious intellectual vitamins and minerals contained herein), tremendously intriguing, it’s the kind of book that makes you want to immediately go and discuss it all with your friends (reading is both a solitary pursuit and one that leads to conversation and the sharing of ideas).

I’m going to end by saying, and there’s no hyperbole here, that this could be the greatest work of Non-Fiction I have ever read.

Zool Verjee, Events and Marketing Manager, Blackwell’s Oxford

Tickets cost £5 and can be obtained by telephoning or visiting the Customer Service Department, Second Floor, Blackwell Bookshop, Oxford. Telephone 01865 333623

The book is available for £23 (£7 off RRP) in the shop

On Thursday last Blackwell’s Caffé Nero was all filled up, this time for a talk from Ian Goldin on his new book Exceptional People: How Migration Shaped Our World and Will Define Our Future. Ian began by explaining the structure of the book. It’s comprised of three parts: ‘past,’ present,’ and ‘future.’ Each section considers the global movement of people, the way they move and the effect on the economy of the sending country and receiving country. Ian began by illuminating the benefits of migration in the early 1800s. He posited that at the time this type of global movement would only promote economic growth. With them the migrants brought new ideas that helped to develop the receiving country and in turn the receiving country presented the migrants with different ways of doing things. Many of these migrants would then return home bringing with them these new ideas and methods. Therefore, the ease of global movement, where one could travel to wherever they would be able to make the most of himself or herself, was also a good thing as it allowed for this exchange of ideas and in turn, an increase of economic growth for both countries involved. However, ‘war, nationalism, and increasingly effective state bureaucracies led to the introduction of new restrictions on migration.’ (Goldin, 2011:69). Towards the end of the nineteenth century ‘managed’ migration came about, with the states controlling the number of migrants entering the country. National identity became entwined with the right to work and move around making life harder for those whose identity was unclear. Despite the notion that economic growth could prosper with open borders more restrictions were imposed and with them came the obligatory use of passports. A more recent invention than you might expect! Ian then explained some of today’s issues surrounding migration. One of these being that nowadays, the burden of migration normally falls onto particular areas but if we share this burden there will be more economic benefits for the world. For example, the Italian island Lampedusa is bombarded with migrants from Africa and similarly, Slough’s population is now approximately 25% migrants. He proposed that receiving nations have a duty to accept migrants based on the notion of where else the migrant could possibly live. The burden should not always fall to the same countries, towns or islands as that is harmful to their local economy. Finally, there is the future to consider. In the allotted time for discussion at the end of the talk many of the questions linked back to Ian’s notions for the future of migration. And it seemed that all the while the audience members had been cooking up fantastically complex questions. One question referred back to his comment on welfare states, that sometimes as much as 80% of the educated workforce leave the country that provided their education. They find jobs abroad meaning the sending country does not benefit from the training it provided and with emigration numbers as high as 80% it will undoubtedly suffer. Ian suggested that whilst such things are beneficial for the state when the population remains static, sometimes measures such as the student loan are essential in order to keeping the economy of the sending country afloat. A number of audience members also picked up on the dichotomies prevalent throughout Ian’s talk such as illegal/legal and static/dynamic. One audience member asked in relation to this what extent is it the responsibilty of the government and its leader to define what is or is not permitted in terms of migration. To this Ian replied that politicians are followers not leaders and should respond to the demands of the citizens who voted for them. Another set of opposing ideas found within the topic was that of integration and indoctrination. To what extent is it suitable for the receiving country to enforce its norms, rules and regulations. A recurring theme throughout the talk was that there appears to be a spectrum regarding migrants and their rights. It proves exceptionally difficult to find that appropriate balance – just cast your mind back to the drama surrounding the banning of the burqa in France. Ian suggested that if the migrant believes in and wishes to practice something which is illegal in the UK, such as female circumcision, they should go somewhere that condones that belief. However, if there is nowhere else for them to go we ought to allow them into the UK but be sure to educate and integrate so that our norms are understood and accepted. Receiving societies have a right to uphold their values. Ian concluded the talk by stating that the book is called exceptional people for many reasons, a particular reason being that these people, the migrants, were and are exceptionally brave. When it comes to leaving one’s home and family there are, of course, individual stories of tragedy. However, the return for their efforts, giving up everything they love in order to provide for it, makes it worthwhile for the individual and also proves that it is not solely in the holistic, global sense that migration is beneficial.

Who is the greatest figure of all from Classical History and Mythology? Take part in the debate at our Classics Balloon Debate on Thursday 27th October at 7pm, here at Blackwell’s Bookshop and have your say!

Celebrate the worlds of Ancient Greece and Rome with us: immerse yourself in all things classical, philosophical, historical and mythological and enjoy our Classics Balloon Debate: In case you’ve not come across the concept before, a balloon debate involves a panel of speakers who are all speaking in the guise of a famous figure from History with the aim of justifying why they should not be thrown out of the hot-air balloon which is rapidly falling to Earth and needs to lose some excess weight quickly!

Participants – and the heroes they will be representing:

Bettany Hughes: Socrates

Harry Sidebottom: Diocletian

Armand D’Angour : Sappho

Adrian Goldsworthy: Julius Caesar

Peter Thonemann: Cleisthenes of Athens

Katharine Earnshaw: TBC

Tickets cost £2 can be obtained by telephoning or visiting the Customer Service Department, Second Floor, Blackwell Bookshop, Oxford. Telephone 01865 333623. Alternatively, please email: events.oxford@blackwell.co.uk