Join us to celebrate the publication of Nikolai Duffy's debut novel Common, where he will be in conversation with Jenn Ashworth (The Parallel Path).
Doors: 6.30pm, starts: 6.45pm
Tickets are £4. Admission is free when purchasing a copy of the book.
About the book:
In the wake of his aunt’s death, Robert travels from Manchester to his childhood home in Hampshire to settle the affairs of her estate. Confronted with the debris of a life left behind, Robert goes for a walk on nearby Ludshott Common, a large area of ancient heathland. While there, Robert takes the impulsive decision to build a ramshackle hut on the common, where he stays for seven days, attempting to come to terms with his marriage and career, parenthood, the life-long impact of his father's alcoholism, and his aunt's insistent example to live an unroofed life.
Lyrical and irreverent, Common offers a moving reflection on solitude, freedom, responsibility, and the repeated attempt to transcend the legacies of the past.
About the author:
Nikolai Duffy is the author of two previous cross-genre poetry collections, and the literary non-fiction book Relative Strangeness: Reading Rosmarie Waldrop. His creative work has been read and performed internationally, including London, Manchester, Dublin, New York, Providence, Columbus, Ljubljana, and Bochum. In 2019 he was awarded a UNESCO City of Literature Residency in Ljubljana. He teaches American literature, poetry, and critical-creative writing in the English Department at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he is co-Director of the Manchester Poetry Group, part of the Manchester Writing School.
If you cannot make the event but would like a dedicated copy of the book, please email events.manchester@blackwell.co.uk or call us on 0161 274 3331.
Our event format is usually a 45 minute discussion between the author and interviewer, followed by a chance for audience members to ask questions. There will be the opportunity to get your book signed/dedicated after the event. Events are a brilliant opportunity to discover new books, meet authors and likeminded readers and learn something new.
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