{"title": "Jonathan Coe: Lessons in Harmony", "start": "2026-11-09T19:30:00Z", "end": null, "place": "Backstory", "address": "Balham High Road 71, SW12 9AP London", "price": "£15.00", "price_from": "15.00", "price_to": "15.00", "category": "talks-readings", "tags": ["literature/fiction/historical-fiction", "music/classical"], "description": "An evening with bestselling author Jonathan Coe at Backstory, a bookshop on Balham High Road in London, where he talks about his writing career and his new novel. It is his third visit to Backstory. The novel, Lessons in Harmony, is set in 1907 in Belle Epoque Paris and follows a decades-long friendship between composers Maurice Ravel and Ralph Vaughan Williams, told through Ravel's devoted acolyte Mylo. As the shadow of war approaches, the two friends pursue their vocation through one of history's most turbulent but creative periods, while their differing senses of national identity raise the question of whether these liberate or constrain them.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/jonathan-coe-lessons-in-harmony-40989/", "official_url": "https://backstory.london/products/9th-november-7-30pm-jonathan-coe-lessons-in-harmony", "image": "https://noky.io/images/7e6dc54c8a644281ad40244828660f6ddd56d15c81644b0036457618b46a9dfa-2000.webp", "dates": [{"start": "2026-11-09T19:30:00Z", "end": null, "place": "Backstory", "address": "Balham High Road 71, SW12 9AP London", "tickets": "sold_out"}], "similar": [{"title": "Jonathan Coe on Ravel and Vaughan Williams and the Music of Nations", "start": "2026-11-10T18:30:00Z", "end": null, "place": "Institut français du Royaume-Uni (Language Centre)", "address": "Cromwell Place 13, London", "price": "£12, conc. £10, students £5", "price_from": "12.00", "price_to": "12.00", "category": "talks-readings", "tags": ["literature/fiction/contemporary-fiction", "music/classical"], "description": "An evening of conversation and live music at the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, held in English. Novelist Jonathan Coe talks with journalist and musician Philippe Auclair about his new book 'Lessons in Harmony', which imagines the friendship between composer Maurice Ravel and his British pupil Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1907 Paris. The Pomegranate Piano Trio performs extracts from works by both composers. Copies of the book are available to buy on the night thanks to partner bookshop Librairie La Page.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/jonathan-coe-on-ravel-and-vaughan-williams-and-the-music-of-74187/", "official_url": "https://www.institut-francais.org.uk/events-agenda/lessons-in-harmony-with-jonathan-coe/", "image": "https://noky.io/images/7437c4d4bd318f9d83a3868666ac3bc7bc93ba09336fd0df0b377e02c2396716-2000.webp"}, {"title": "Christopher Kent (actor) Gamal Khamis (piano) 'Never Such Innocence' – a special 10th anniversary performance of their acclaimed narrative recital of words and music from the First World War", "start": "2026-11-08T15:00:00Z", "end": null, "place": "Ancient Church of St Mary The Virgin", "address": "Perivale Lane, UB6 8SS Perivale", "price": "", "price_from": null, "price_to": null, "category": "concerts", "tags": ["history/world-war/world-war-i", "literature/poetry", "music/classical"], "description": "Never Such Innocence is a narrative recital of words and music from the First World War, given by actor Christopher Kent and pianist Gamal Khamis as a special 10th anniversary Remembrance Sunday performance. First staged at St Mary's Perivale in 2016 for the Somme 100 commemorations, it has since played venues across the UK, including sell-out West End performances, and was described by BBC Radio 3 as 'an incredibly moving performance'. It juxtaposes piano music by Elgar, Ravel, Debussy and Ivor Gurney with words by writers such as Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Vera Brittain, interwoven with the story of Kent's great uncle, Private Percy O'Key, through his real-life letters and diaries. The result is a moving journey from innocence to loss, told with unflinching clarity and compassion.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/christopher-kent-actor-gamal-khamis-piano-never-such-innocen-40773/", "official_url": "https://st-marys-perivale.org.uk/events-2026-11-08.shtml", "image": ""}, {"title": "Book Launch - Josette's Secret by Odette Elliott", "start": "2026-11-15T14:30:00Z", "end": "2026-11-15T16:30:00Z", "place": "Cricklewood Library", "address": "NW2 6UY London", "price": "", "price_from": null, "price_to": null, "category": "talks-readings", "tags": ["literature/childrens-books"], "description": "A family-friendly literary event celebrating the launch of a newly published children's historical novel. Local author Odette Elliott presents Josette's Secret, set in France in the years just after the Second World War, combining history, mystery and adventure. Visitors can meet the author, hear about the story and the inspiration behind the book, and buy a signed copy to take home.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/book-launch-josettes-secret-by-odette-elliott-89026/", "official_url": "https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thefriendsofcricklewoodlibrary/2460956?date=2026-11-15", "image": "https://noky.io/images/8a4ce29fc472eed69eed30c0c2c5c6d18bf298fb70283c7d4a557fc5c67ee816-2000.webp"}, {"title": "Bonnie Garmus in conversation", "start": "2026-11-09T19:15:00Z", "end": "2026-11-09T20:15:00Z", "place": "Bookbar", "address": "Blackstock Road 166, London", "price": "From £18.00 to £34.00", "price_from": "18.00", "price_to": "34.00", "category": "talks-readings", "tags": ["literature/fiction/contemporary-fiction"], "description": "An evening event at BookBar Chelsea with Bonnie Garmus, the bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry, in conversation. She will discuss her new novel, Peck and Peck, which tells of a young man in 1982 New York whose life turns upside down when he is hired by the prestigious and secretive poetry journal Peck & Peck. The bar opens before the conversation begins.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/bonnie-garmus-in-conversation-76446/", "official_url": "https://www.bookbaruk.com/event-details/bonnie-garmus-in-conversation", "image": "https://noky.io/images/8424d72709a4ca22b3c7a51e074df028908347b416285e9e5cddd0bf5b771893-2000.webp"}, {"title": "Author Event: Amelia Kyazze", "start": "2026-11-06T13:30:00Z", "end": "2026-11-06T14:30:00Z", "place": "The Woolwich Centre", "address": "35 Wellington Street, Woolwich, London, SE18 6HQ", "price": "", "price_from": null, "price_to": null, "category": "talks-readings", "tags": ["literature/fiction/historical-fiction"], "description": "Author Amelia Kyazze gives a talk at Woolwich Centre Library about her new book, The Cinema on Josef Boulevard. The book is the sequel to her popular 2024 novel, The Café on Manor Lane. It is historical fiction set in the 1950s, following Zeb, a Hungarian Resistance fighter who flees to London in the aftermath of the failed revolution. No booking is needed.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/author-event-amelia-kyazze-95187/", "official_url": "", "image": ""}, {"title": "Andrew Davies in conversation with Hadley Freeman", "start": "2026-11-03T18:30:00Z", "end": null, "place": "Daunt Books Notting Hill", "address": "", "price": "£6.00", "price_from": "6.00", "price_to": "6.00", "category": "talks-readings", "tags": ["literature/memoir"], "description": "An intimate evening conversation at a bookshop with the screenwriter and novelist Andrew Davies about his new memoir, An Unsuitable Boy: A Life in Scripts. He will be joined in conversation by author and journalist Hadley Freeman, formerly of The Guardian and now a staff writer at The Sunday Times. The memoir weaves together wit, irreverence and vulnerability, reflecting on a life of writing, adapting and collaborating, from post-war Cardiff to the BBC boardroom. The ticket price includes a glass of wine or a soft drink.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/andrew-davies-in-conversation-with-hadley-freeman-41336/", "official_url": "https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/events/andrew-davies/", "image": "https://noky.io/images/7d0544d1a1714526e74c2f40d60c2c2aa0de35f8dcc780d344d0f74b42a08f25-2000.webp"}, {"title": "IWM In Conversation: Damien Lewis and Rye Barcott", "start": "2026-11-06T18:30:00Z", "end": null, "place": "IWM London", "address": "", "price": "£20", "price_from": "20.00", "price_to": "20.00", "category": "talks-readings", "tags": ["history/wwii", "literature/memoir"], "description": "An evening talk at the Churchill War Rooms in which authors Damien Lewis and Rye Barcott discuss courage, leadership, service and sacrifice, from the Second World War to conflicts and politics today. It is held by Imperial War Museums as part of its IWM In Conversation series and draws on British and American stories of people who chose service when it came at a cost. Barcott, a Marine Corps veteran and New York Times bestselling author, will speak about his book 'Courage Can Save Us', while war reporter and historian Damien Lewis presents 'Behind Enemy Lines'. After the talk there is a Q&A, a book signing and the chance to explore the historic rooms.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/iwm-in-conversation-damien-lewis-and-rye-barcott-50307/", "official_url": "https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-in-conversation-damien-lewis-and-rye-barcott", "image": "https://noky.io/images/2d0c3f69c5b7d3df5e711cce7d8f0f2603f123e647d7aa85afeac1011f6e5294-1200.webp"}, {"title": "IN-HOUSE - Two Women: Book Launch with Jacqueline Rose", "start": "2026-11-06T18:00:00Z", "end": "2026-11-06T19:30:00Z", "place": "Freud Museum London", "address": "Maresfield Gardens 20, NW3 5SX London", "price": "£11.13 – £26.94", "price_from": "26.94", "price_to": "26.94", "category": "talks-readings", "tags": ["literature/fiction", "society/psychoanalysis"], "description": "An evening book launch at the Freud Museum London celebrating the publication of Jacqueline Rose's new novel, Two Women. The acclaimed writer and critic will be joined in conversation by writer and critic Devorah Baum. Their discussion explores the influence of psychoanalysis in the creative process, the relationship between biography and fiction, and how fiction can offer new ways of engaging with history and identity. The novel intertwines the lives of Edith Stein, the German-Jewish philosopher and Catholic convert, and Gillian Rose, philosopher of German-Jewish thought and Jacqueline's sister.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/in-house-two-women-book-launch-with-jacqueline-rose-36181/", "official_url": "https://www.freud.org.uk/event/in-house-two-women-book-launch-with-jacqueline-rose/", "image": "https://noky.io/images/04e2d9b0e09a2d9c23794cc69a217901eab3ce78ed6bf2447adb0bc9c98ede39-2000.webp"}, {"title": "Beyond Bayeux: Stories from the Middle Ages", "start": "2026-10-14T00:00:00+01:00", "end": "2027-07-25T00:00:00+01:00", "place": "Institut français du Royaume-Uni (Language Centre)", "address": "Cromwell Place 13, London", "price": "", "price_from": null, "price_to": null, "category": "talks-readings", "tags": ["history/middle-ages"], "description": "Beyond Bayeux: Stories from the Middle Ages is a ten-month season of talks, workshops and concerts exploring the lesser-known stories and mysteries of the medieval era, held at the French Institute in London. It celebrates the landmark Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum. From the Norman Conquest to the story behind the Tapestry's loan, from la chanson de geste to l'amour courtois, it revisits the grand narrative of history and unravels a thousand and one stories. Historians, writers, artists, singers, musicians, dancers, storytellers and troubadours take audiences back to the medieval world and the intertwined histories of Britain, France and the wider European continent.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/beyond-bayeux-stories-from-the-middle-ages-90540/", "official_url": "", "image": ""}, {"title": "Serious Pleasures: The Life of Stephen Tennant by Philip Hoare – Book Launch", "start": "2026-11-12T18:00:00Z", "end": null, "place": "The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History", "address": "Mare Street 11, E8 4RP London", "price": "", "price_from": "17.81", "price_to": "17.81", "category": "talks-readings", "tags": ["literature/biography"], "description": "A book launch celebrating the new Harper Collins reissue of Philip Hoare's biography 'Serious Pleasures: The Life of Stephen Tennant', held with the opening reception for the exhibition 'Lascar – the art & ephemera of Stephen Tennant – The Man Who stayed in Bed'. The event takes place at the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History on 11 Mare Street, London. The book follows Stephen Tennant, a fixture of 1920s high society who became a muse to Cecil Beaton and lover of Siegfried Sassoon, later receiving visitors such as Truman Capote and Greta Garbo from his Wiltshire manor. First published in 1990 as an international bestseller, the biography recreates a life lived as a work of art.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/serious-pleasures-the-life-of-stephen-tennant-by-philip-hoar-79104/", "official_url": "https://thelasttuesdaysociety.org/exhibition/serious-pleasures-the-life-of-stephen-tennant-by-philip-hoare-book-launch/", "image": "https://noky.io/images/639fab1c356aaedfccb6419f59325196cd9a3a61664fd53c97bf9ed0c181aa0d-1200.webp"}, {"title": "Andrew Zolinsky Piano Recital", "start": "2026-11-06T19:00:00Z", "end": null, "place": "Morley College London", "address": "Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7HT London", "price": "£10.00", "price_from": "10.00", "price_to": "10.00", "category": "concerts", "tags": ["music/classical"], "description": "A piano recital at Morley College London. Pianist Andrew Zolinsky performs works by Ravel, Beethoven, Debussy, Copland and Tippett, exploring contrasting approaches to colour, rhythm and expression at the piano. The first half spans Ravel's Sonatine, Beethoven's late Sonata Op. 109 and two Debussy pieces, while after the interval Copland's Four Piano Blues lead into Tippett's Fourth Piano Sonata as a powerful conclusion. Zolinsky is known for his individual interpretations, his work with living composers and a repertoire ranging from Bach to the present day.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/andrew-zolinsky-piano-recital-46167/", "official_url": "https://morleycollege.ac.uk/event/andrew-zolinsky-piano-recital/", "image": "https://noky.io/images/b2be07f846633d88fdc17f30b2edf668d76fe49dd172157b0d01d3c32b31f129-2000.webp"}, {"title": "Classical Coffee Mornings at the Royal Albert Hall: Emme Hensel", "start": "2026-11-08T11:00:00Z", "end": null, "place": "Royal Albert", "address": "New Cross Road 460, SE14 6TJ London", "price": "£14 (including booking fee)", "price_from": "14.00", "price_to": "14.00", "category": "concerts", "tags": ["music/classical/chamber-music"], "description": "A chamber music recital held in the Elgar Room of the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Classical Coffee Mornings series. It features Royal College of Music musician Emme Hensel on flute, performing a varied programme spanning Romantic, Baroque and 20th-century works by Prokofiev, Saint-Saëns, Bach and Morlacchi, ending with the showpiece The Swiss Shepherd. A hot drink and a pastry are included in the ticket price.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/classical-coffee-mornings-at-the-royal-albert-hall-emme-hens-38300/", "official_url": "https://www.rcm.ac.uk/events/details/?id=3872277", "image": "https://noky.io/images/8f613d7fb1bdc26d42878af9450a46f118f723a31c620200304b374cbf2d56bc-1200.webp"}, {"title": "Flare Path - Reading", "start": "2026-11-08T18:00:00Z", "end": "2026-11-08T20:00:00Z", "place": "Hampton Hill Playhouse", "address": "High Street 90, TW12 1NZ Hampton Hill", "price": "", "price_from": null, "price_to": null, "category": "theatre", "tags": ["stage/theatre/drama/historical-drama"], "description": "A play reading of Terence Rattigan's \"Flare Path\", hosted by Teddington Theatre Club at Hampton Hill Playhouse and led by director Roger Smith. Written while Rattigan served as bomber aircrew, it is a love story set in 1941, following a love triangle between American matinee idol Peter Kyle, British actress Patricia Graham and her RAF bomber pilot husband Teddy, alongside other wartime relationships. Further readings, an audition and full performances are planned for 2027. The reading is an informal social occasion with the bar open, and anyone may join in or simply listen, with no booking needed.", "url": "https://noky.io/en/london/events/flare-path-reading-36396/", "official_url": "https://www.hamptonhilltheatre.org.uk/events/flare-path-reading", "image": ""}]}