The Villager Book Club is a roaming book club and occasional reading retreat, popping-up at intimate venues in villages, towns and cities across the UK. Events are hosted by me, Emma Galvin, with the aim of finding connection through the books we love.
You’ll be able to find out about our latest book picks and upcoming events on Instagram, and details about how to book our events will be posted there too, along with dates, times and venues.
You don’t have to come along to every event, just pick the ones you can make it to, but it’s a good idea to book early as spaces are limited by the nature of our venues.
Upcoming Events
Thursday 29 Jan 2026: A Girl in Winter by Philip Larkin, The Manor House, Culworth, Northamptonshire
For our first event of 2026, we’ll be meeting at The Manor House in Culworth, Northamptonshire, from 8-10pm, to talk about A Girl in Winter by Philip Larkin. Published in 1947, it is the second of only two novels by the Coventry born poet, and centres around the life of Katherine Lind, a refugee who has become a librarian in a wartime Northern town, and the story of her reunion with a past love.
The Manor House is a beautiful historic home and event space on the Northants/Oxfordshire borders where Charles I is reputed to have stayed prior to the the Battle of Edgehill in 1642.
Tickets for this event will be £25 each and will include drinks and nibbles.
Saturday 23 May 2026: Read the Book, Eat the Book, The Food Library, Cecil Road, Northampton
Tickets are now on sale for our May event, a unique collaboration with The Food Library in Northampton. For this very special book club, Chef Michael Mayhew will translate the food from a selected book (more details TBC), creating a five course dining experience to bring the words onto our plates. More details on The Food Library’s Dining Clubs can be found here.
The Food Library is run by Michael Mayhew and Laura Elliott, focusing on sustainability and creativity, and we hope that, coupled with fictional inspiration and adventure, this will be a truly wonderful evening of sharing great food, drink and ideas.
Tickets for this event are £70 per person and must be booked through The Food Library so that the kitchen can ensure they have details of any dietary preferences and/or allergies.
PAST Events
10 December 2025: The Resurrection of Flo by Jo Wood at Chapel & Co, Blakesley, Northamptonshire
11 November 2025: Audition by Katie Kitamura at The Royal Oak, Eydon, Northamptonshire
16 October 2025: Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje at Chapel and Co, Blakesley, Northamptonshire