Heron Books

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Regent Street, Bristol, BS8 4HW

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We've been keeping one eye on Heron Books's events page. Good thing too — turns out they're always up to something.

Upcoming events at Heron Books

Tracy Maton: The Artful Anna Harris
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Tracy Maton: The Artful Anna Harris

We are very much looking forward to supporting this event organised by the Friends of the Clifton Library celebrating The Artful Anna Harris by Tracy Maton. ‘You are quite the chameleon, aren’t you? You could wear anything, do anything, and yet you choose plain, plain, plain. Is it all a front for a secret life?’ When the vivacious Sofia Carstairs arrives in her sleepy country village, Anna knows her life will never be the same again. Her new best friend is carefree, elegant and intoxicating. Her life doesn’t revolve around church flower arrangements or Sunday lunches with the in-laws. Sofia reminds Anna of the person she used to be, before she worked so hard to fit in that she practically disappeared. But is it enough to just be Sofia’s friend? Anna wonders what it would be like to be Sofia, if only for a little while. But once Anna starts pretending, she finds it easy to pretend the rules don’t apply to her. How far will Anna go to get what she wants? And what will she do to those who stand in her way? Tracy will discuss her love of the morally ambiguous character and why she decided to write her own. An award-winning children’s writer, The Artful Anna Harris is her first thriller for adults. Book your tickets through the Clifton Library: https://public.foccal.com/event/515

Thu 16 Apr19:00Heron Books
via Heron Books
Poetry in Herons: Kate Noakes
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Poetry in Herons: Kate Noakes

We are delighted to launch Kate Noakes’ latest collection, Sublime Lungs Please join us for a drink, a poetry reading and book signing in celebration of Kate’s new book. In Sublime Lungs Kate Noakes turns her attention to the breath. For the first time, she explores her lifelong asthma and explains the impact of this chronic and disabling condition. The breath and breathing are subjects for poems from many chronologies and geographies in this her ninth collection. Kate Noakes is the author of nine collections of poetry, one pamphlet and one book of non-fiction. She has a PhD in Critical and Creative Writing from the University of Reading. She recently moved from London to Bristol, where she co-founded the poetry performance group, Braid. She was elected to the Welsh Academy of Letters in 2011 and her website (www.boomslangpoetry.blogspot.com) is archived by the National Library of Wales. The event is free but please let us know that you are coming so that we can provide a seat and a drink. RSVP to

Tue 21 Apr18:00Heron Books
via Heron Books
via Heron Books
Eloise Kane: Wilderlands – The Human History of Wild Britain
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Eloise Kane: Wilderlands – The Human History of Wild Britain

We are very excited to host Eloise Kane to celebrate her new book Wilderlands: The Human History of Wild Britain. Please join us for a discussion of the book, followed by a Q&A and book signing. The event is free but please RSVP to Space is limited and in demand! About the book When was Britain last truly wild? And what, if anything, remains? This is the unexpectedly human history of wild Britain. Eloise Kane unearths 12,000 years of our changing relationship with and influence on the landscape. Through prehistory, Roman occupation, the Middle Ages and beyond, we see the unfamiliar beasts of our old wild make way for species such as brown hare and fallow deer, now romanticised as eternal symbols of the British countryside, but introduced much later than we might think. Places free from our influence haven’t existed for a very long time. But Eloise Kane invites us to rethink our definition of the wild – not as separate from us. Seen anew as the result of millions of human lives lived, Wilderlands demonstrates how we are integral to the ecology and biodiversity of our land, with the power to shape its future. About the author Eloise Kane is an archaeologist. She is a Visiting Fellow at the Royal Agricultural University, an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and previously served as Honorary Treasurer of the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology.

Tue 5 May18:00Heron Books
via Heron Books
via Heron Books
Jay Griffiths: Wild Medicine with Bristol Talks
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Jay Griffiths: Wild Medicine with Bristol Talks

We are very pleased to support this event organised by Bristol Talks with Jay Griffiths and Michael Malay: a revelatory and exuberant discussion about our relationship to the living world, mischievous, vital and wild. Jay has written several award-winning books, including Wild: An Elemental Journey and Pip Pip: A Sideways her latest work, How Animals Heal Us, she explores how animals heal us as individuals with their vitality, humour and empathy. They offer social remedies too: wolves may be teachers of ethics; bees take collective decisions and monkeys have a sense of justice. In conversation with celebrated local author of Late Light, Michael Malay, Jay will reflect on the big questions that have always permeated her writing, considering time and the rich wisdoms of Indigenous cultures, and the necessity of challenging the status quo. Doors Folk House bar will be open and we will provide a book stall. The talk is from 7.30-8.30pm. Tickets are available from the Bristol Talks website.

Tue 26 May19:00Heron Books
via Heron Books
Bristol Humanists: Zion Lights on why environmentalism went nuclear
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Bristol Humanists: Zion Lights on why environmentalism went nuclear

Organised by the Bristol Humanists, we are pleased to support: Energy is Life: Why Environmentalism Went Nuclear, Zion Lights’ personal and powerful journey: from grassroots green activism to becoming one of the UK’s leading advocates for nuclear energy In a time of climate crisis, energy poverty and growing demand for clean power, she examines why long-established environmentalists like herself once feared nuclear energy, why many have since come to embrace it, and she makes a compelling case for why nuclear energy must be part of the solution. Accessible, evidence-based, and deeply human, there is a challenge to common myths and an invitation for people to rethink what it really means to care for others and the planet alike. If you believe in a greener, fairer future, Energy is Life just might change your mind – and give you hope. “In this vivid book, Zion Lights offers strong evidence, clear thinking, and good sense on the biggest issue of our time” Stephen Pinker, Prof of Psychology, Harvard University “Perhaps the time has come for the green movement to re-evaluate its position on civilian nuclear power. In this book, Zion Lights with her impressive environmental track record and lucid science communication shows why.” Professor Alastair McIntosh, author of Riders on the Storm “A call to action against climate change using science and storytelling, this is a must-read for environmental activists and policy makers alike.

Mon 1 Jun19:30Heron Books
via Heron Books
Philosophy Salon: History as a weapon
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Philosophy Salon: History as a weapon

In George Orwell’s 1984, a totalitarian party slogan is “Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.” Is this true today, in Russia and in the Middle East? Are historical narratives being manipulated to justify war? In this salon, we’ll dig into the deep histories behind the war in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We look forward to supporting this event at St George’s with Julian Baggini, James Rodgers and Michael Scott-Baumann. Full details available here: https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/whats-on/philosophy-salon-history-as-a-weapon/ Your host, philosopher Julian Baggini is joined by journalist and writer James Rodgers, author of The Return of Russia, and Michael Scott-Baumann, author of Palestinians and Israelis: A Short History of Conflict. They’ll be looking at how historical narratives, mixing truth and fiction, shape foreign policy and even lead to war. They will also be looking at whether the laws-based international order is dead, if it was ever alive, what the morally right thing for countries such as our own is, and whether the idea of an ethical foreign policy has any reality. After a break for you to get a drink and gather your thoughts, the second half will be led by your questions and contributions.

Thu 4 Jun19:30Heron Books
via Heron Books
Tom Cox: Everything Will Swallow You
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Tom Cox: Everything Will Swallow You

Independent Bookshop Week is of course the best week (so good it lasts nine days, 13-21 June) of the year. In 2026 we are delighted to spend it celebrating all things Tom Cox. We can’t wait to press his books into your hands and to be joined by the man himself for an event in the shop on Tuesday 16th June. Please join us for a drink and discussion of Everything Will Swallow You, Tom’s latest novel, which will be freshly out in paperback just in time for IBW. After the discussion there will be a chance to get your stacks of Tom Cox books signed. Something to swallow, in the form of a drink, will also be on offer. Herons and swallows both welcome. Please RSVP to About the book Have you ever been curious about how people live when nobody is watching? Have you wondered whether there’s more going on than meets the eye? Eric and Carl live in Dorset in a small white cottage under the shadow of a big cliff. Eric sells old records and antiques. Carl cooks, cleans and crochets. Nearing seventy, Eric is a lifelong accumulator of obscure objects whose easygoing, chaotic approach to life masks some of the unaddressed sadness of his past. The significantly younger Carl is an old soul who has a sophisticated emotional intelligence and likes swimming, mid-century female novelists, fibre arts and Dolly Parton. If you passed them on a walk, you may not pay them much attention. Most likely you would see Carl’s long floppy ears, tail and fur and mistake him for a dog.

Tue 16 Jun18:00Heron Books
via Heron Books
Natalie Bennett: Change Everything – How We Can Rethink, Repair and Rebuild Society
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Natalie Bennett: Change Everything – How We Can Rethink, Repair and Rebuild Society

We are very pleased to support this event organised by Bristol Talks. Natalie Bennett, Green Party member of the House of Lords, will be in conversation with Andrew Kelly. Natalie will be discussing her book, Change Everything, a practical and hopeful guide for anyone who wants a route map to a fairer, greener future. About the book We are living in a social, political, economic and environmental emergency. The status quo is profoundly unstable; change is inevitable. Now is the time to get together to build a far healthier and more balanced world. The decades-old political orthodoxy – that greed is good, inequality doesn’t matter and we can keep treating the planet as a mine and a dumping ground – has been a recipe for disaster. Our world needs a new vision, the Green vision. From Universal Basic Income to fee education, from less stuff but more life, to genuine democratic opportunities for all, Natalie Bennett brings together a holistic, hopeful and practical vision for the future. The foundations of Change Everything are conversations with many thousands of people. We need to engage millions to bring together the imagination, talents and energy of all in order to build and repair our societies. Then a positive future is within our reach. Doors Folk House bar will be open and we will provide a book stall. The talk is from 7.30pm. Tickets are available from the Bristol Talks website.

Tue 28 Jul19:00Heron Books
via Heron Books
via Heron Books
Bristol Humanists: Sian Norris on Bodies Under Siege
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Bristol Humanists: Sian Norris on Bodies Under Siege

We look forward to supporting this event organised by the Bristol Humanists: Sian Norris on Bodies Under Siege: How the Far–Right Attack on Reproductive Rights Went Global Sian is a writer, journalist and copywriter specialising in reporting and investigations into women’s rights – with a particular focus on reproductive rights and ending men’s violence against women. Think today’s anti-abortion ideas are rooted in religious prohibitions or arguments about where life begins? Wrong: today’s anti-abortion movements is largely financed and planned by far-right extremists. Many of them are avowedly fascist and white supremacist, afraid of a “great replacement” of the world’s white population by other races, who are working hard to reshape governments and policies across Europe, North America and around the world. Much of this far-right organizing and funding network, however, has been overlooked by today’s feminist and left movements. More details to follow.

Mon 5 Oct19:30Heron Books
via Heron Books
Bristol Humanists: Mark Williamson on making life happier
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Bristol Humanists: Mark Williamson on making life happier

We look forward to supporting this event organised by Bristol Humanists. Full details to follow. Dr Mark Williamson is co-founder and Director of Action for Happiness. His book offers 23 practical ways to make life happier. It’s based on evidence from the latest scientific research combined with unique insights from the author plus proven ideas that he has helped thousands of people to adopt successfully in their everyday lives. It goes much deeper than typical self-help advice, covering a wide range of themes which contribute to lifelong wellbeing. The book combines actions to improve your own happiness with actions that benefit others too. Make Life Happier is also an invitation to join a global movement of people who are choosing to live differently. People who recognise that happiness is not just a personal quest, but a gift that can enrich our communities and our world. It’s an invitation to help shift our values. From what we can get to what we can give. From seeking validation to finding connection. From just surviving to actively thriving. Remember, this is about how to make life happier, rather than happy, recognising this is a journey and there’s no perfect end-point. The most important thing to keep in mind right now is that your actions matter. You may not be able to change your circumstances, but you do have the potential to feel better, find meaning and make a difference. Whatever your situation is, you can do something.

Mon 2 Nov19:30Heron Books
via Heron Books
Brian Bilston: How To Lay An Egg with a Horse Inside
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Brian Bilston: How To Lay An Egg with a Horse Inside

We are very much looking forward to hosting a book stall and signing at St George’s for an evening with Brian Bilston. Full details and tickets on their website. With over 500,000 followers on social media and a host of sell-out shows across the country, Brian Bilston is one of the UK’s most popular poets. He has published several bestselling collections of poetry, including You Took the Last Bus Home, Alexa, what is there to know about love? and Days Like These. His novel Diary of a Somebody was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, and he has also written collections of poetry for younger readers. In 2025 he released an album of his poetry set to music, Sounds Made by Humans, in collaboration with The Catenary Wires. This autumn sees Brian return to the stage with his latest book, How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside. Get ready for an evening of comedy and laughter, as he takes us through the hows, whys and whats of reading, writing and enjoying poetry every day.

Mon 30 Nov19:30Heron Books
via Heron Books

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