The First Word 2026!

Welcome to my first ramblings of 2026. It is around this time of a new year that I find myself in a midwinter slump, there is all the post festive season paperwork to deal as well as shorter days. This year I have tried to change my outlook, I started to look forward to January as a time to slow down, to rest, to recover, to light candles and get lost in the flames of my open fire. Hence, it is 13th January and I am just about getting around to plans for 2026, from the comfort of my bed!

Book Club

This week is our first book club meeting of the year and we will be discussing The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi. This book surprised me with its grit and I loved the undercurrent of explanation of a life flashing before your eyes before you move to another place. I always look forward to Book Club and the variety of views that will be put forward and the ensuing conversations.

Conversation

'Conversation' is a word I use a great deal, Join The Conversation, is the strap line for our Literary Festival, it is an integral part of my job as a book seller and in these times where personal face to face interaction is becoming more and more limited I feel the opportunities for conversation beyond day to day pleasantries are a vital part of life.

Having a face to face conversation and sending an email is akin to the difference between sending a text and writing a letter. In the same way writing a letter opens a space beyond a few clicks; being part of a conversation gives us opportunities to bend and flow, even if we disagree, we find ways to express understanding in a way we might not do in an email - I believe we might be more kind and right now we need more understanding and kindness.

The Book Bar Salon

It was conversations at book club that sparked my plan to start a new venture and indeed the flames were very much fanned by conversation during our Lit Fest drinks party back in September; The Book Bar Salon. A monthly meeting where we can come together in an informal setting to explore ideas, focus on themed discussions, author spotlights, or creative prompts, encouraging connection through shared reading, writing, music, or personal stories, to share sorrows and speak of joys, to go beyond the boundaries and explore deeper ideas about literature, art, and life.

Our first meeting will be on Thursday 22nd January at the bookshop at 6pm, all are welcome and feel free, if your wish, to bring and share a bottle or a plate. Tickets are free from madhatterbookshop.co.uk

An Evening with author Simon Mason

We are thrilled to welcome author Simon Mason to The Madhatter Bookshop on Thursday 19th March at 6pm to talk about his new book, A Dangerous Stranger, as well as his works, his inspiration and how he feels about being labelled the new Colin Dexter! The way I feel about Simons body of work sparks memories of how I felt about the works of Mick Herron before his work deservedly blew up, so Simon is at the top of my 'one to watch' list.

Tickets are available from madhatterbookshop.co.uk they are £10 which is fully redeemable against a book purchase on the night.

Writing For Children - 5 Week Introductory Course

In 2026 we continue to work with our writer in residence 'Alison Waller'. Have you always wanted to write a children’s book or YA novel? Is there a young character you want to bring to life?

An Introduction to Writing for Children will help you discover the world of children’s literature and invite you to explore your ideas in a friendly and collaborative space. The course runs over five weeks and is a fun opportunity to start creating fiction for young readers. It is suitable for beginner writers or those who want to explore a new form of writing.

Each session will draw on examples from classic and contemporary works of fiction and guide you through creative exercises and discussion. You will be introduced to the tools you need to start creating: digging into your own childhood for inspiration and learning about character, story, world-building, theme, and how to play with language.

You will receive gentle feedback on your writing throughout this introductory course and will be encouraged to share and celebrate your work with other members of the group, if you feel comfortable doing so.

Course Dates: Wednesdays, 7.30-9.00pm, 25 February – 25 March 2026

Tutor: Alison Waller is a writer and coach with a passion for telling stories. For many years she ran the Children’s Literature MA at the University of Roehampton. She now runs The Writing Path, helping writers find their way, and blogs about walking in West Oxfordshire at https://thewritingpath.substack.com.

Cost: £110 full price / £75 concession (full amount payable in advance.)

Please message 07774637941 to register.

And finally

Following our stream of thought on kindness, I was recently pointed in the direction of substack to read about a local artist who is writing some very interesting things on journaling (this is a new area I would like to explore for Madhatter in 2026 - but more on that another time!) The fact is, I disappeared down a wonderful rabbit hole! If you are a regular at Madhatter you will probably be aware of my passion for George Saunders, the author of nine books, including the novel Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the Man Booker Prize, and the story collections Pastoralia and Tenth of December. He has received fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Guggenheim Foundation. In 2006 he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. In 2013 he was awarded the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction and was included in Time’s list of the one hundred most influential people in the world. He teaches in the creative writing program at Syracuse University. Here is an interview with George, please enjoy! (I am in the process of creating and 'ode to George' shelf in the bookshop. Which will include his forthcoming new title, VIGIL, a playful, wise, electric novel taking place at the bedside of an oil company CEO, in the twilight hours of his life, as he is ferried from this world into the next, confronting the biggest issues of our time with humour and warmth, spinning a tale that encompasses life and death, good and evil, and the inevitable question: who else could we be but exactly who we are?

George Saunders Interview

Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Kim