Welcome to Bath

Leon Craig for The Decadence
2025-10-29 18:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
‘Lush, complex, and close to the bone, The Decadence filled me with horror in the best way’ – Krystelle Bamford, author of Idle Grounds

Leon will be in conversation with Imogen Hermes Gowar, author of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, and contributor towards The Haunting Season and The Winter Spirits.

A gripping queer haunted house novel from the author of Parallel Hells

At the height of lockdown, a group of flailing twenty-something friends makes an illicit break for freedom.

A grand country house stands empty. Once the home of Theo’s great uncle, it seems like the perfect place to get high and hang out in the spring sunshine, as they eschew adult responsibilities.

Since meeting as teenagers, rifts have grown amongst the group. Even as they are determined to enjoy themselves, tensions cast shadows between them – politics, sex and lies. The house, too, has its own dark history and exudes a palpable sense of menace.

Where do the drugs end and the supernatural begin? Will anger and jealousy tear the friends apart, or will it be more ominous forces? Their stay at Holt House will change them all…

Leon Craig is a writer from North London. She studied English at UCL, Medieval Literature at Oxford and Creative Writing at Birkbeck. Her writing has been published by the White Review, the TLS, Another Gaze and the London Magazine, among others.

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In Conversation with Alan Davies
2025-10-29 19:00 - 20:00 | Komedia Bath, 22-23 Westgate St, Bath, BA1 1EP, United Kingdom
White Male Stand-Up is the sequel to Alan Davies’s best-selling memoir, Just Ignore Him. It tells the story of what happened next to the much loved comedian, writer and actor, best known as BBC’s Jonathan Creek and as a panelist on QI.

Davies throws himself wholeheartedly into the joyful, idealistic world of stand-up comedy, an adventure that leads to a career in television. But as echoes from the past resurface, the thought that everyone might prefer it if he disappeared, sees him repeatedly dismantle everything around him.

Featuring a cast of well-known comedians, actors, agents, and producers, Alan stumbles from the camaraderie of the comedy circuit to the life-changing fame of playing Jonathan Creek, only to be met with the humbling realization that most people now recognize him from a bank advert – and assume he’s had a perm.

Told with unflinching honesty and thoughtfulness, this is a story of soaring highs and crushing lows, of success, indulgence, and the perils that come with both.

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An Evening with Andrzej Sapkowski of The Witcher
2025-10-30 18:15 - 21:00 | Bath Pavilion, N Parade Rd, Bathwick, Bath, BA2 4EU
Join Toppings for an evening in Bath with Andrzej Sapkowski, author of global phenomenon The Witcher, to celebrate his latest novel – The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens.

Witchers are not born. They are made.

Before he was the White Wolf or the Butcher of Blaviken, Geralt of Rivia was simply a fresh graduate of Kaer Morhen, stepping into a world that neither understands nor welcomes his kind.

And when an act of naive heroism goes gravely wrong, Geralt is only saved from the noose by Preston Holt, a grizzled witcher with a buried past and an agenda of his own.

Under Holt’s guiding hand, Geralt begins to learn what it truly means to walk the Path – to protect a world that fears him, and to survive in it on his own terms. But as the line between right and wrong begins to blur, Geralt must decide to become the monster everyone expects, or something else entirely.

This is the story of how legends are made – and what they cost.

Author Image: Andrzej Sapkowski (c) Wojciech Koranowicz

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British Museum Lectures: Nordic Noir
2025-10-30 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
Toppings are delighted to welcome Jennifer Ramkalawon to the bookshop to discuss Nordic Noir, a new book that showcases the British Museum’s remarkable collection of graphic art from the post-war period to the present day from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Nordic Noir accompanies a major exhibition at The British Museum in October 2025.

The overwhelmingly spectacular landscape of the region features prominently in many of the featured works – dark fjords, uninhabited mountain ranges and heavily forested areas contrast with densely crowded, highly developed urban spaces viewed through the Nordic lens. The Indigenous Sami people living in the northern part of Scandinavia and Russia address issues such as their own heritage and identity within the Nordic world. Regional identity is also explored from pride in the artists’ own native countries to coded references to their ‘Viking’ past. The book also features works by contemporary Nordic artists who are constantly challenging the idea of the ‘perfect’ Scandinavian social world often projected by these countries to outsiders.

Beautifully presented, this stunning new book celebrates artwork from some of the leading artists from the Nordic countries.

Jennifer Ramkalawon is Curator of Modern and Contemporary Nordic Graphic Art at the British Museum. Previous publications include Maggi Hambling: Touch (2016), Kitaj Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné (2013), Love and Marriage (2008) and Toulouse-Lautrec (2007).

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Olly Smith Wine Tasting
2025-10-30 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
All For Wine and Wine for All!

An evening of fun and wine with the ebullient drinks broadcaster, Olly Smith.

You don’t need to be rich or have expert knowledge – you just need to feel confident in choosing wines that will bring you joy. Drinks writer, Olly Smith is here to walk you through the wonderful world of wine, teaching you how to find what you like and understand why.

From the basics of how to choose a bottle of wine, how much to spend and how to taste it, to demystifying wine jargon, Olly tells you everything you will ever need to know. Discover Olly’s top wines to try before you die, as well as his own Ten Commandments of Wine, and a handy ‘Grape Thesaurus’.

Fun, witty and informative, Wine is the perfect accompaniment to a leisurely glass of vino.

Olly Smith is the UK’s best-loved wine expert, with 18 years’ presenting wine on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen. He has written about wine for the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Mail for 17 years and has six award-winning Glass House wine bars across P&O Cruises fleet. He has won countless awards in the wine industry, including International Wine and Spirits Communicator of the Year and Drinks Writer of the Year, and tours the UK every year as one of the Three Wine Men. Olly has appeared on primetime shows including Celebrity Mastermind, Bridge of Lies and House of Games. He has hosted more than 80 episodes of his hit drinks podcast ‘A Glass With’ featuring a dazzling array of celebrity guests. Olly is also patron of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. He is the author of Home Cocktail Bible and World Cocktail Atlas.

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Moth Dark with Kika Hatzopoulou
2025-10-30 19:00 - 21:00 | Mr B’s Emporium Bookshop, 14-15, John St, Bath, BA1 2JL
Mr B’s is very excited to welcome shop favourite Kika Hatzopoulou back to the shop for a special Halloween event of shadows, darkness, and magic.

From the bestselling author of Threads that Bind and Hearts that Cut comes a brand-new compulsive romantasy about a girl obsessed with the dark and the shadowy magical prince she falls in love with, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Laini Taylor.

About Moth Dark:

The dark has come alive . . .

Six years ago, vicious creatures began to crawl out of the dark crevices of the world, and with it Sascia’s fascination with the darkness was born. Now eighteen, that fascination has become an obsession, and while exploring an area known for its connection to the Darkworld, Sascia sees a person climb out of the darkness. But Nugau is no ordinary person, they’re a genderfluid elf prince with one mission . . . to kill Sascia.

Except, the second time they meet, Nugau is younger and doesn’t recognise Sascia. And the third time, Nugau stumbles out of the darkness with poison running through their veins, expressing their undying love for her.

Piecing together the puzzle, Sascia makes two shocking discoveries: the timelines of her world and Nugau’s are not linear, and she is inexplicably enmeshed in a war between humanity and elves. But with their worlds at battle, is it worth fighting for each other . . . ?

Kika Hatzopoulou is the bestselling and award-winning author of Threads That Bind and Hearts That Cut. She is a native Greek and current Londoner and holds an MFA in writing for children from the New School. In her free time, she enjoys urban quests and gastronomical adventures while narrating entire book and movie plots with her partner.

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Anne Brontë: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
2025-11-01 11:00 - 12:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, Bath & North East Somerset, BA1 2HN, United Kingdom
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, a novel by Anne Brontë, published in 1848, is the most shocking of the novels published by the Brontë sisters, as it contravened the social conventions of the 19th century. It had initial success, but Charlotte Brontë prevented it being immediately reprinted.

The novel’s themes of domestic abuse and the powerlessness of women have led to it being described as the first feminist novel and the book now enjoys a growing popularity.

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An Afternoon with Nick Offerman!
2025-11-01 11:30 - 14:00 | Bath Pavilion, N Parade Rd, Bathwick, Bath, BA2 4EU
Come one, come all! The one and only Nick Offerman joins Toppings to offer a glimpse into his woodworking mastery.

From New York Times bestselling author and Emmy-winning actor, Nick Offerman, comes a practical and very funny guide to woodworking, with projects for the whole family.

“Want to have some fun? Little Woodchucks is for every kid and 50-year-old woman who wants to make something cool with their hands.” – Amy Poehler

Many know Nick from his role as Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation. But in addition to acting and comedy, woodworking is one of the great passions of Nick’s life. (The others are his wife, family, and friends, his dogs, music, cheese curds, the great outdoors, bacon and eggs, the Chicago Cubs, puzzles, Beef Wellington, the theatre, his canoe, Wilco, and single-malt Scotch whisky.)

In Little Woodchucks, Nick and his team at the Offerman Woodshop open their doors to woodworkers of all ages, sharing their passion for their craft and showing you how to make a range of their most popular and accessible projects. From carved twig animals and box kites to tool boxes and simple hayloft benches, these twelve family-friendly projects are the perfect way to discover the joys of woodworking, and share the love of crafting with others.

Written with Nick’s signature wry humour an charm, and with clear illustrated step-by-step instructions, Little Woodchucks is a quality piece of bookery from an American original.

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An Evening with B.K. Borison of First Time Caller
2025-11-02 17:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
Join Toppings for an evening with B.K. Borison, bestselling author of First Time Caller and Lovelight Farms, to celebrate her new small-town romance: Good Spirits.

B.K will be joined by Autumn Woods. Woods is a romance author and aerospace engineer based in the Southwest of the UK. Born in London, Autumn grew up in the countryside. She loves to write agonizing slow burns in gloomy, gothic, or cottagecore settings. Outside writing and engineering, you’ll find her painting landscapes, baking bread, rereading the Lord of the Rings and getting lost in the latest high stakes Romantasy novels.

He’s the Ghost of Christmas Past. But she’s not exactly Scrooge…

Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday season exactly like every other; haunting the terrible people of Annapolis in his aimless existence as the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Harriet York is a good person – or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her.

So, when Nolan is assigned the sweeter-than-candy-canes antique shop owner for his holiday haunting, neither of them have any idea why. To escape one another, Harriet and Nolan must unravel the threads that bind them together – all by Christmas Eve.

Hand in hand, they uncover each other’s pasts, but why is it that Nolan doesn’t want to let go? And might Harriet be the key to giving the Ghost of Christmas Past… a future?

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Chloe Michelle Howarth for Heap Earth upon It
2025-11-04 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
Toppings are delighted to welcome back Chloe Michelle Howarth, author of Sunburn, which was shortlisted for multiple awards, for her sophomore novel.

January 1965. The orphaned O’Leary siblings – Tom, Jack, Anna and Peggy – arrive in the village of Ballycrea, tight-lipped about their troubled past and desperate for a fresh start.

After being met with suspicion from most of the locals, the family are thrilled when they’re taken under the wing of their well-respected neighbours, Bill and Betty Nevan, who offer them work, companionship and an opportunity to fit in.

But for one of the O’Learys, this new friendship sparks an intense attachment that makes the dynamic dangerous for all. It’s difficult to bury secrets, but almost impossible to bury feelings…

‘I lost myself in Chloe Michelle Howarth’s strange and startling second novel. It’s a deeply affecting tapestry of gothic landscapes and virtuosic, character driven prose. As it haunted me, Heap Earth Upon It will haunt you too’ — Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb

Chloe Michelle Howarth was born in July 1996. She grew up in the West Cork countryside, which has served as an inspiration for her writing. She attended university at IADT in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, where she studied English, Media and Cultural Studies. Chloe currently lives in Brighton.

Her debut novel, Sunburn, was shortlisted for the 2024 Polari First Book Prize, the 2024 Book of the Year: Discover Award at the British Book Awards and the 2023 Nero Book Award for Debut Fiction and longlisted for the 2024 Diverse Book Awards.

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The Wax Child with Olga Ravn
2025-11-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Mr B’s Emporium Bookshop, 14-15, John St, Bath, BA1 2JL
Mr B’s is thrilled to welcome Olga Ravn, one of Denmark’s most celebrated authors, to Bath to talk about her new novel, The Wax Child, translated by Martin Aitken.

Olga won us over back in 2020 with her novel, The Employees, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize and a beloved Team B favourite. Olga returns with The Wax Child, a mesmerising, frightening vision – based on an infamous 17th century Danish witch trial – of a time when witches and magic were as real to the human mind as soil and seawater.

Our Sôffi has already devoured an early copy, and says: ‘Ravn gives voice to the accused, namely the infamous Christenze Krukow, via the mouthpiece of an all-knowing wax doll born from Krukow’s hands. The Wax Child is both rich and poetic, Ravn’s signature style sings in this setting – weird, witchy fiction fans, rejoice!’

Olga Ravn‘s novel The Employees was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2021, the Ursula K.Le Guin Prize and longlisted for the National Book Awards and the Dublin Literary Award. Her novel My Work won the Politikens Literature Prize in 2021 and led to changes in the country’s maternity rights. She has also written shorter pieces for the New Yorker, the Paris Review and Granta.

Can’t make it to the event? Order a signed dedicated copy of The Wax Child here.

About the book:

It was a black night in the year 1620 when Christenze Krukow made the wax child, when she melted down beeswax and set it in the image of a small human. For days, she carried it tucked beneath her arm, shaping it with the warmth of her flesh, giving it life.

She fashioned for it eyes and ears that cannot open, and yet – it watches and listens. It looks on as Christenze is haunted by rumour, it hears what the people whisper. It sees how, in the candlelight, she gazes with love at her friends, and hears the things they say in the shadows.

It knows pine forest, misty fjord and the crackle of the burning pyre. It observes the violence in men’s eyes and the cruelty of their laws. In time, it begins to understand that once a suspicion of witchcraft has taken hold, it can prove impossible to shake…

‘Olga Ravn is a master and an alchemist. There’s nobody else doing quite what she does’ Samantha Harvey

‘I gulped The Wax Child down and dreamed wild dreams about it. Just brilliant.’ Max Porter

‘Dark and strange and beautiful and completely gripping’ Mark Haddon

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Sarah Hendrickx asks Could I Really Be Autistic?: Your First Steps to Self-Discovery
2025-11-05 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
Join Sarah Hendrickx, author of Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum, to talk about her new book: Could I Really Be Autistic? Sarah’s work has been monumental for many women (and their loved ones) who were diagnosed on a scale originally catered to men. Beloved by booksellers, Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum is a bestseller here at Topping and Company in Bath.

Perhaps a child in your family has been diagnosed as autistic, your therapist has suggested it, or people you know have called you ‘Rain Man’ throughout your life. Whatever the reason, here you are, either seeking to confirm or dispel the idea that you might be autistic.

Written by two experts in autism assessment, this is a pathway for you to explore the likelihood of meeting the diagnostic threshold for autism, while offering advice on possible next steps.

Filling the gap between self-identification and formal diagnosis, this rigorous, accessible guide to diagnosis will give you confidence in taking the next steps on your autism journey.

Sarah Hendrickx is an autistic six-time-published author, including Women and Girls on the Autistic Spectrum. Sarah has developed and delivered training for diagnosticians working for the NHS and privately as well as coaching individuals pre- and post-diagnosis.

Jess Hendrickx is an autistic author, non-clinical diagnostician, trainer and mentor. She has a PGCE in Autism. Jess has worked as an neurodiversity diagnostician for the past two years both with Axia-ASD and privately. Within her work as a mentor, Jess has guided people to make an informed decision on whether or not to pursue an autism assessment, as well as providing post-diagnosis support, Jess is Sarah’s daughter.

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Frankenstein with MinaLima's Miraphora Mina & Eduardo Lima
2025-11-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Mr B’s Emporium Bookshop, 14-15, John St, Bath, BA1 2JL
Mr B’s are thrilled to be hosting an in conversation event with Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima to celebrate the release of their new book, the MinaLima Edition of Mary Shelley’s horror classic Frankenstein.

Creating some of the most iconic visual elements in modern cinema for the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film series, Studio MinaLima is an award-winning design studio founded by Miraphora and Eduardo.

Since 2015, they have reimagined beloved tales in their MinaLima Classics series of deluxe illustrated and interactive books, including Peter Pan, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Their adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein will add a tenth book to the collection, exploring a new genre and marking an exciting new creative chapter for Studio MinaLima.

Shelley’s revered novel comes to life as never before in this inventive edition showcasing the magical artistry of MinaLima, brimming with original illustrations and seven extraordinary interactive featuresincluding an expanding map, a reveal of the Creature’s face, and a foldout excerpt from Victor’s diary. Miraphora and Eduardo will delve into their artistic processes and how they approach new projects and genres, plus take a look over their publishing success story as they approach the 25th anniversary of their design studio.

The perfect spooky event for Frankenstein, classic horror, and graphic design enthusiasts this autumn, plus perfect timing with the new Guillermo del Toro adaptation of Frankenstein coming to Netflix in November – watch the trailer here: Frankenstein Trailer

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Chef Stephen Harris with The Sportman at Home
2025-11-06 19:00 - 22:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
An evening with chef Stephen Harris, a somewhat anarchic figure in the food world whose pub, The Sportsman has become a mecca for travelling chefs and restaurateurs, including Noma’s Rene Redzepi.

The Sportsman is nothing short of an institution. Now in its 25th year, chef Stephen Harris took over a rundown pub on the Kent coast in 1999 and turned something ordinary into something extraordinary with his pared-back style of cooking, earning (and retaining) a Michelin star, as well as being named the UK’s best restaurant multiple times. It’s a cult classic both adored by professionals from all over the world, and a truly beloved, unpretentious local. In The Sportsman at Home, Stephen Harris welcomes us into his kitchen in Whitstable to discover his favourite ingredients and show us how to apply the simple ethos of his iconic restaurant to home cooking. With chapters covering ‘Dinner’, ‘Nostalgia’, ‘Christmas’ and ‘An Ode to Cream’, Stephen captures the imagination for simple cooking with his love of seasonal, local produce. Including dishes such as Pork Chop with Charred Leeks, Coq au Vin, Cream of Soups and Blackcurrant and Almond Tart, Stephen reintroduces familiar favourites, made simpler, and much better. With stunning location photography of the Kent landscape that serves as Stephen’s inspiration, The Sportsman at Home is a true celebration of simple food at its very best, from one of the most respected chefs in the UK.

Self-taught chef Stephen Harris opened Michelin-starred The Sportsman in Seasalter, Kent, in 1999. It has been crowned National Restaurant of the Year multiple times. His first book, The Sportsman, won Guild of Food Writers, Andre Simon and Fortnum and Mason awards. Stephen is also the Executive Chef of Noble Rot.

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A Signing with Beloved Children's Author Oliver Jeffers!
2025-11-07 16:00 - 18:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
Join Toppings for a very exciting public signing with much-loved children’s author and illustrator, Oliver Jeffers!

Jeffers’ latest picture book is I’m Very Busy: A (Nearly Forgotten) Birthday Book; a poignant – and laugh-out-loud funny – story about our busy lives and how we can fix our mistakes to show our friends how much we care.

It’s Bridget’s birthday, and she thinks it would be fun to spend the day with friends. But Royal has places to go, Rodney has to see a man about a dog, Regis has to wash his hair and Pearl has a list of items she needs to cross off as quickly as she can. Bridget’s friends are all too busy to hang out!

Will Bridget have to spend her birthday all alone?

In a story that shows how friends are more important than the busy-ness of a day, Oliver Jeffers’s bold and brilliant art pairs with a powerful story that makes readers realise what truly matters.

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An Evening with Angela Harding
2025-11-07 18:30 - 21:00 | St Swithin’s Church, 37 The Paragon, Bath, BA1 5LY, United Kingdom
Join Toppings for a special evening celebrating not one, not two, but FOUR fantastic books!

‘When the snow falls quickly, it brings dramatic change. Hare, rabbit and bird tracks become visible in the lanes and fields.’

With the much-awaited release of the latest in Angela Harding’s seasonal quartet, Winter’s Song, join us and Angela as she talks all about her beautiful collection which is comprised of Spring Unfurled, Summer’s Hum, Falling Into Autumn, and now Winter’s Song.

Featuring over thirty of Angela Harding’s favourite prints alongside observations taken from her books A Year Unfolding, Wild Light and Still Waters & Wild Waves, each short, small book in this seasonal collection is a beautiful new way to enjoy Angela’s work and celebrate nature and wildlife across the UK at all times of year.

Angela has worked on the covers for a number of books: including P D James, Ted Hughes, Katya Balen and James Rebanks. Her children’s book RSPB Birds by Miranda Krestovnikoff was longlisted for the Klaus Flugge prize. Her most recent children’s book Wilding, by Isabella Tree, is an illustrated adaptation of the bestselling book of the name. Other recent publications include Blossomise by Simon Armitage, a Sunday Times bestseller.

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An Evening with Zadie Smith
2025-11-09 18:30 - 21:00 | Bath Pavilion, N Parade Rd, Bathwick, Bath, BA2 4EU
An illuminating new essay collection from one of the most distinctive, exciting and acclaimed writers of her generation, Zadie Smith

‘Zadie Smith is a wonderful essayist. She is a natural. She writes as she thinks, and she thinks crisply and exactly’ – Tessa Hadley, Guardian

In this keenly awaited new collection, Zadie brings her unique skills as an essayist to bear on a range of subjects which have captured her attention in recent years.

She takes an exhilaratingly close look at artists Toyin Ojih Odutola, Kara Walker and Celia Paul. She invites us along to the movies, to see and to think about Tar, and to Glastonbury to witness the ascendance of Stormzy. She takes us on a walk down Kilburn High Road in her beloved North West London and invites us to mourn with her the passing of writers Joan Didion, Martin Amis, Hilary Mantel, Philip Roth and Toni Morrison. She considers changes of government on both sides of the Atlantic – and the meaning of ‘the commons’ in all our lives.

Throughout this thrilling collection, Zadie shows us once again her unrivalled ability to think through critically and humanely some of the most urgent preoccupations and tendencies of our troubled times.

Zadie Smith is the author of the novels White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty, NW and Swing Time; as well as a novella, The Embassy of Cambodia; three collections of essays, Changing My Mind, Feel Free and Intimations; a collection of short stories, Grand Union; and the play, The Wife of Willesden, adapted from Chaucer. She is also the editor of The Book of Other People. Zadie Smith was born in north-west London, where she still lives. The Fraud is her first historical novel.

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Tom Gilbey's Thirsty Wine Tasting
2025-11-10 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
A gloriously gluggable wine tasting with one of the most charismatic wine expert who will entertain us with hilarious life, wine, and food stories.

This is not simply a wine book, it’s about living the good life while cherishing each sip along the way. For Tom Gilbey the two are inseparable. Tom invites readers to discover the joy, hilarity, and humanity of wine in Thirsty, a vibrant memoir-meets-guide bursting with unforgettable wines and the even juicier stories behind them.

Thirsty is the story of Tom’s life in wine. A celebration of all the fascinating characters who make it, and a history of the Gilbey’s family love affair with winemaking and – let’s be honest – drinking since the 1800s.

‘I like to talk about wine the way normal humans talk about things they love – it’s not about showing off how many fancy wine terms I know. The point is to share something I love with someone else in a way that makes them want to love it too.’ Tom Gilbey

Learn all about:

– How to read a label (even if you can’t speak the language)– talk wine without sounding naff– choose wine in a restaurant– explain why some wine might smell like your granny’s cardigan

You will travel with Tom to a Chateaux in France’s Beaujolais, vineyards in England’s Thames Valley, wineries in Australia’s Hunter Valley and the unsung aisles of Sainsbury’s Waitrose, Majestic and – rest in peace – Oddbins.

Tom shares with us how this gloriously gluggable elixir is, at its heart, made to bring pleasure, to bring people together, and to make us slow down – taking time to savour not just the food and drink on the table, but, the moment itself.

Tom Gilbey is an award-winning wine expert, with an unrivalled career in wine for over two centuries. His family were pioneers in the wine trade, owning Chateau Loudenne in Bordeaux and founding the legendary Gilbey’s Gin. With over 30 years in the industry – from winemaker to merchant to viral sensation – Tom has an unmatched knowledge, energy and passion for making wine approachable and fun, and is now leading a new wave of wine lovers into the fold.

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An Evening with Adalyn Grace of Belladonna
2025-11-11 18:30 - 21:00 | St Swithin’s Church, 37 The Paragon, Bath, BA1 5LY, United Kingdom
Join Toppings for an evening with Adalyn Grace, author of the Belladonna trilogy, to celebrate the publication of Holly – a new holiday novella that follows on from the wonders of Wisteria. This event will be chaired by the author of Phantasma, Kaylie Smith.

Reunited at last, Blythe and Aris have settled into their magical manor and are hosting family for the holidays. Blythe has her heart set on the perfect celebration, full of as much hot chocolate and as many decorations as possible, and Aris is determined to deliver – if only he can figure out what to get the woman who holds the power of life itself.

But gifts turn out to be the least of their worries when a group of volatile spirits threatens the festivities, keeping Signa’s hands full with the mystery of their deaths. It would be much easier with Sylas at her side, but he’s disappeared and seems to have secrets of his own. Now Signa and Aris must work together to uncover what happened to Wisteria’s ghostly inhabitants and help them move on before it’s too late – all while keeping Blythe blissfully unaware.

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Zoe McGee on Courting Disaster
2025-11-11 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
What do #MeToo and Jane Austen have in common? More than you might think.

Ever since the novel was invented, women have used it as a platform for sharing ideas about sexual consent. Dr Zoe McGee reveals how Jane Austen, Frances Burney and their now-overlooked contemporaries used their stories to try to change society’s mind about rape culture – and to reassure survivors they were not alone.

Courting Disaster takes a timely deep-dive into a series of classic novels, comparing them with both historic court records and current events to show that our arguments about consent are not a new phenomenon. With the wit and wryness of a courtship novel, McGee reads between the lines to unveil a quiet feminist movement that still resonates today. Because every novel about marriage is also a novel about consent.

In an era that’s clamouring for a return to the values of the past, Courting Disaster asks what that would really mean, and whether anyone actually liked it back then anyway…

Zoe McGee has a PhD from Queen Mary University of London and an MSt in eighteenth-century studies from the University of Oxford. She has spoken at conferences internationally and now performs at very nerdy stand-up comedy nights. Among other things, she has worked as a university teacher, a bookseller and a professional board-game-explainer. She owns too many books and is a competitive ballroom dancer in her spare time.

Zoe will be in conversation with Helena Kelly.

Helena Kelly holds a doctorate in English Literature from the University of Oxford, where she was most recently a Visiting Scholar at the Oxford Centre for Life Writing at Wolfson College. She has also taught at the university, and published in a number of academic journals. She is the author of The Worlds of Jane Austen and Jane Austen, the Secret Radical, and of The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens.

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Abir Mukherjee for The Burning Grounds
2025-11-12 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
Join Toppings for The Burning Grounds, the next thrilling novel from the author of the British Book Awards Crime Thriller of the Year 2025, Hunted, Abir Mukherjee.

‘An unmissable series’ The Times‘Captivating, moving and exciting, it’s historical fiction at its finest’ Sunday Express

In the Burning Ghats of Calcutta where the dead are laid to rest, a man is found murdered, his throat cut from ear to ear.

The body is that of a popular patron of the arts, a man who was, by all accounts, beloved by all: so what was the motive for his murder? Despite being out of favour with the Imperial Police Force, Detective Sam Wyndham is assigned to the case and finds himself thrust into the glamorous world of Indian cinema.

Meanwhile Surendranath Banerjee, recently returned from Europe after three years spent running from the fallout of his last case, is searching for a missing photographer; a trailblazing woman at the forefront of the profession. When Suren discovers that the vanished woman is linked to Sam’s murder investigation, the two men find themselves working together once again – but will Wyndham and Banerjee be able to put their differences aside to solve the case?

Abir Mukherjee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham & Banerjee series of crime novels set in 1920s India and the British Book Awards Crime Thriller of the Year 2025 Hunted. His books have been translated into sixteen languages and won various awards including the CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel, the Prix du Polar Europeen, and the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing.

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An Evening with Olivie Blake of The Atlas Six
2025-11-13 18:30 - 21:00 | St Swithin’s Church, 37 The Paragon, Bath, BA1 5LY, United Kingdom
‘A book that whets your appetite before devouring you whole. Girl Dinner is cunning, charged and – just as you’re comfortable – a profound shock.’ Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings

Olivie Blake, bestselling author of The Atlas Six, returns to Bath to celebrate her newest novel: Girl Dinner. Packed with twists, turns, and the aching reality of female rage, this is Olivie Blake as you have never read before.

Good girls deserve a treat.

The House is the most exclusive sorority on campus, and all its alumni are beautiful, high-achieving and respected.

After a freshman year she would rather forget, sophomore Nina Kaur knows being accepted into The House is the first step to the brightest possible future. The House will surely ease her fears of failure and protect her from those who see a young woman on her own as prey.

Meanwhile, adjunct professor Dr Sloane Hartley is struggling. After eighteen months at home with her newborn daughter, Sloane’s clothes don’t fit right; her girl-dad husband isn’t as present as he thinks he is; and even the few hours a day she’s apart from her child fill her psyche with paralyzing ennui. When invited to be The House’s academic liaison, Sloane enviously drinks in a level of collective perfection that Sloane desperately craves.

As Nina and Sloane each get drawn deeper into the arcane rituals of the sisterhood, they learn that living well comes with bloody costs. And when they are finally invited to the table, they will have to decide just how much they can stomach in the name of solidarity and power.

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Silk Roads: A Flavour Odyssey with Anna Ansari
2025-11-13 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
‘Anna Ansari is a rare kind of home cook who is able to turn the simplest ingredients into pure magic. She’s also one of the best writers I know.’ Meera Sodha

Silk Roads: A Flavour Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing is a rich and delicious celebration of the world’s most famous trade routes, retold through recipes. Shortlisted for the prestigious Jane Grigson Trust Award and the Yan-Kit So Award for Food Writers in Asia, Iranian-American food writer Anna Ansari takes us on an unforgettable culinary, historical and personal odyssey across Asia.

Weaving together recipes and essays that explore threads of food, trade, and travel, Ansari brings to life the flavours of the Silk Roads– from the walnut groves of her Iranian father’s childhood, across Uzbek markets brimming with fragrant melons, to steaming bowls of noodles eaten in the backstreets of China.

From Baku to Beijing, Tashkent to Tbilisi and beyond, discover delectable recipes rooted in the fabled trading routes that connected East Asia with Western Europe. Dive into warming and hearty Azeri-Iranian stews served with crispy-bottomed rice, dill-infused noodles from Western Uzbekistan, cheesy Georgian cornbread, and mouth-watering Uyghur lamb chops. Enjoy fresh, zingy salads, and all kinds of comforting dumplings and breads. Savour refreshing drinks and sharbats, and devour American- and British-inspired desserts, like Apple and Quince Pie, Sticky Maple Persimmon Pudding, and Spiced Walnut Blondies. Made with simple and accessible ingredients, these are dishes you’ll return to time and time again.

With fascinating historical insights, witty anecdotes and personal tales, essays peppered throughout the cookbook trace the traditions, ingredients and people of a unique food culture, and take you on a delicious, momentous journey. Stunning family and location photography and sumptuous food imagery transport, inspire and tantalize. This is a journey and a cookbook like no other.

‘Anna Ansari is a wise, witty and hungry guide who takes us on a superb culinary journey along Silk Roads less travelled.’ Jay Rayner

Anna Ansari has a background in Asian studies, with a BA from Barnard College, Columbia University and an MA from Yale University. Her writing focuses on the intersection of food, family, and history, with special a attention to the immigrant experience and foods of the Asian continent. She is particularly interested in the ways food, flavours, and ingredients move across borders, carried in the memories and pockets of travellers and transplants. You can find more of her writing in Pit Magazine, Eaten Magazine and Fillerzine. An Iranian-American from Detroit and former international customs and trade a orney, Anna lives in London with her husband, son and cat.

‘A book of delicious recipes interwoven with histories, family stories and a good dash of humour is what we all need just now. Silk Roads promises to be such an important and lively book.’ Olia Hercules

‘A real feast – vividly evocative, witty, stylish and enlightening. Utterly delicious. I can’t remember the last time I felt this keen to dig in.’ Felicity Cloake

‘With gorgeous recipes and engaging stories, Anna Ansari tells a tale of food which is both personal and global in its scope.’ Tim Anderson

‘A fascinating and meticulously researched blend of recipes, history and memoir, this cookbook deserves a place alongside Olia Hercules Mamushka, Sabrina Ghayour’s Persiana and Sami Tamimi’s Jerusalem.’ Rukmini Iyer

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An Evening with Jay Kristoff
2025-11-17 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
Jay Kristoff, bestselling author of Empire of the Vampire and Nevernight, returns to Bath to celebrate the epic conclusion of his latest trilogy: Empire of the Dawn. This event will be chaired by none other than Joe Abercrombie, friend of the bookshop and author of The Devils.

From holy cup comes holy light;

The faithful hands sets world aright.

And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,

Mere man shall end this endless night.

Gabriel de Leon has lost his family, his faith, and his last hope of ending the endless night – the Holy Grail, Dior. With no desire left but vengeance, he and a band of loyal brothers journey into the war-torn heart of the Augustin Empire to claim the life of the Forever King.

Unbeknownst to the Last Silversaint, the Grail still lives – speeding towards Augustin’s besieged capital in the frail hope of ending Daysdeath forever. But deadly treachery awaits within the halls of power, and the Forever King’s legions march ever closer. Gabriel and Dior will be drawn into a final battle that will shape the very fate of the Empire, but as the sun sets for what may be the last time, there will be no-one left for them to trust.

Not even each other.

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An Evening with Joe Sacco of Footnotes in Gaza and Palestine
2025-11-18 18:30 - 21:00 | Bath Elim Church, Charlotte Street, Bath, BANES, BA1 2ND, United Kingdom
Join Joe Sacco, author of Footnotes in Gaza and Palestine, for an evening in Bath to celebrate his new book: The Once and Future Riot.

From luminary graphics journalist, a revelatory investigation of the deadly sectarian riots in 2013 Uttar Pradesh, India, and their urgent global significance.

Compared to other episodes of lethal Indian communal violence, the clashes in Uttar Pradesh in 2013, the Muzaffarnagar Riot, were a relatively small-scale affair. It had happened before and will probably happen again: Hindus and Muslims, armed with guns and swords, riled up by vitriolic rhetoric and a tangle of accusations, turn on one another. The truth fragments along religious lines, both in the lead-up to the rampage and in its bloody aftermath.

Joe Sacco immerses himself in Uttar Pradesh, speaking to government officials, political leaders, village chiefs, and especially the victims, who were mostly landless peasants, in a quest to understand this riot as an archetype of political violence. In the process, he probes the role of savagery in a democracy; the power of crowds, rather than leaders, to influence the course of events; the collision of competing narratives; and the accounts that perpetrators construct to explain away their participation in bloodshed.

Sacco has chronicled the urgent histories that define the world around us, from the Great War to Gaza. Here, he turns his masterful visual reportage to a story that is specific to India but with implications and resonance for us all.

Joe Sacco, one of the world’s greatest cartoonists, is widely hailed as the creator of war reportage comics. He is the author of, among other books, Palestine, which received the American Book Award, and Safe Area: Gorazde, which won the Eisner Award and was named a New York Times notable book and Time magazine’s best comic book of 2000. His books have been translated into fourteen languages and his comics reporting has appeared in Details, The New York Times Magazine, Time, Harper’s and the Guardian. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

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An Evening with Chloe Gong of These Violent Delights
2025-11-18 18:30 - 21:00 | St Swithin’s Church, 37 The Paragon, Bath, BA1 5LY, United Kingdom
Join Toppings for an evening in Bath with bestselling author Chloe Gong to celebrate her new cyberpunk epic: Coldwire. Chloe is the author of the beloved These Violent Delights duology, and has most recently been working on her adult series, Immortal Longings.

THE FUTURE IS LOADING . . .

For decades, the world has been caught in a cold war between two powerful nations: Medaluo and Atahua. The Medan orphans who live in Atahua suffer the cost. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier, or risk being labelled a spy.

Eighteen-year-old Eirale is one such orphan. Having recently graduated and joined NileCorp’s forces, she’s doing well for herself – until Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason.

Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Lia is close to her own graduation when she’s paired with her academic nemesis for one final assignment. But when they are ordered to infiltrate Medaluo in virtual reality, Lia quickly realises there is much more at stake than her school ranking.

As Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on separate courses, the two start to suspect they are pieces in a larger conspiracy – and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.

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Skye McAlpine's Christmas Companion
2025-11-18 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
Skye McAlpine brings us Magic Making, Feasting and Making Merry in her new Christmas Companion.

Talk & Tastings

The Christmas Companion is the indispensable guide to a cosy, relaxed and memorable Christmas from home cook, food writer and expert host Skye McAlpine. The book opens with a section on how to plan a magical Christmas which includes craft ideas such as wreaths, homemade decorations, advent calendars and crackers, tips on the best times to order trees, cards, presents and food. There are also lots of ideas for edible gifts including Candy Cane Hot Chocolate Sticks and Cocoa and Panettone Truffles.

Greet your guests with an Amarena Amaretto Sour or a Chestnut Martini, feast on Pomegranate-Glazed Turkey to Camembert & Cranberry Pithivier and Cranberry & Zabaione Trifle.

And for those who want to get ahead with menu planning, the final section contains menu plans for different festive gatherings, table setting ideas, a glossary of the key Christmas ingredients to have to hand and a planner section giving tools, lists and space for notes so that you can refer back to your notes and plans year after year.

‘I love Christmas. I have always loved Christmas. I love the bonhomie and the conviviality and the excess of it all: the food, the sweets, the brandy-laden puddings, the rustle of tissue paper on Christmas morning, the jolliness of sing-along carols. I love that sweet, outdoorsy smell of a real fir tree and the twinkling lights in the street at night. I even love how bustling and busy the shops get in that last mad rush before the day itself. I love it all. So, to have the excuse to lose myself here in the unadulterated joy of egg nog-fuelled holiday baking, to conjure up festive menu upon festive menu for family and friends, this is truly my happiest place’ Skye

‘Skye’s unabashed love for Christmas shines through these pages like a golden star placed high on a tree.’

Luke Edward Hall

Skye McAlpine is a cookery writer who believes that food tastes best when shared with others. She is author of three other cookbooks, A Table in Venice, A Table for Friends and A Table Full of Love. She writes a monthly recipe column for The Sunday Times, as well as the popular Substack newsletter, ‘The Dolce Vita Diaries’; and contributes to publications from around the world. When she’s not cooking or writing, Skye works on designs for her own range of tabletop essentials, Skye McAlpine TAVOLA. She lives between Venice, where she grew up and where her heart lies, and London, where her work most often takes her.

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Jean Sprackland for Night Vision
2025-11-19 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
Topping are delighted to welcome award-winning author and poet Jean Sprackland to the bookshop to celebrate her new non-fiction title Night Vision.

‘Beautifully written, never lapsing into self-conscious ‘poet’s prose’, always a joy to read. I wish I had written it myself’ – Literary Review

We humans have a complicated relationship with the dark. We fear it, and make great efforts to blot it out. But we also long for it, especially if we live in cities, or remember the starry skies of our childhoods. Darkness opens us up to risk, delight and transformation. Is it possible to prise it free of its negative associations, which are as old as human thought itself?

Drawing on memory and imagination, history and ecology, literature and myth, Night Vision is an expansive, thrilling journey into the true dark. In her quest for a new, more intimate relationship with darkness, acclaimed poet and writer Jean Sprackland finds herself confronting some of the deepest – and darkest – questions about who we are and our place in the world.

Jean Sprackland is the author of five poetry collections, including Tilt, which won the 2007 Costa Poetry Award. She has also published two works of non-fiction, Strands: A Year of Discoveries on the Beach, which won the 2012 Portico Prize, and These Silent Mansions: A Life in Graveyards in 2020.

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Jeanette Winterson for One Aladdin Two Lamps
2025-11-20 18:30 - 21:00 | St Swithin’s Church, 37 The Paragon, Bath, BA1 5LY, United Kingdom
Literary phenomenon, Jeanette Winterson, joins Topping in Bath this Autumn!

I can change the story because I am the story.

With her execution looming, a woman is fighting for her life. Every night she tells a story. Every morning, she lives one more day. One Aladdin Two Lamps cracks open the legendary story of Shahrazad in One Thousand and One Nights to reveal new questions and answers we are still thinking about today. Who should we trust? Is love the most important thing in the world? Does it matter whether you are honest? What makes us happy?

In her guise as Aladdin – the orphan who changes his world – Jeanette Winterson asks us to reread what we think we know and look again at how fiction works in our lives, giving us the courage to change our own narratives and alter endings we wish to subvert. As a young working-class woman, with no obvious future beyond factory work or marriage, Winterson realised through the power of books that she could read herself as fiction as well as a fact.

Weaving together fiction, magic and memoir, this remarkable book is a tribute to the age-old tradition of storytelling and a radical step into the future – an invitation to look more closely at our own stories, and to imagine the world anew.

Jeanette Winterson CBE was born in Manchester. She published her first novel, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, at twenty-five. Over two decades later she revisited that material in her internationally bestselling memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?. Winterson has written thirteen novels for adults and two previous collections of short stories, as well as children’s books, non-fiction and screenplays. She is Professor of New Writing at the University of Manchester.

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Japanese Whisky Tasting with Dave Broom
2025-11-21 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
An evening of storytelling and Japanese Whisky from one of the most knowledgeable and entertaining experts in the business, Dave Broom.

Award-winning author and Japanese whisky expert, Dave Broom, tells the stories of Japan’s whisky distilleries, unveiling the philosophy that lies behind this fascinating whisky culture, and revealing how it relates to many Japanese concepts.

Dave looks at the history and output of each distillery, considering the elements that make that particular whisky what it is, and including tasting notes. Features on aspects of Japanese life and culture that are crucial to a wider understanding, from the importance of the seasons to the role of craftsmanship, add to the picture. Interwoven throughout the book is the fascinating narrative of the journey across Japan which Dave made with photographer Kohei Take, offering further insight into the country which creates this wonderful drink and making this a must-have edition for any whisky lover, whisky drinker, whisky collector or Japanophile.

This fully updated edition also includes a brand-new introduction and essays from Jim Meehan and Tomo Yoshizawa.

‘This book is incredible’ Alex Kratena

Dave is an internationally celebrated spirits expert. He is the winner of two Glenfiddich prizes, The IWSC Communicator of the Year Award, The Spirited Award for Best Cocktail & Spirits writer and an Andre Simon prize for The Way of Whisky.

In 2020 he was named Best Drinks Writer at the Fortnum & Mason awards. He has been a contributing editor to Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate and scotchwhisky.com. He started thewhiskymanual.uk in 2020 and is also the whisky correspondent for jancisrobinson.com.

He has made two films, Cuba in a Bottle and The Amber Light. The latter, on whisky and Scottish culture, won Best Programme at the 2020 Fortnum & Mason awards.

Dave’s previous books include the first two editions of The World Atlas of Whisky, Whisky: The Manual, Gin: The Manual, Rum: The Manual, The Way of Whisky and A Sense of Place.

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