- The Reading Social: Bovey’s Silent Book Club
18 February 2026 [5:30-7:30PM]
The Cromwell Arms, Fore Street, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AE
Calling all you readers in Bovey Tracey who are looking for dedicated time each month to read amongst friends. Grab whatever you’re reading, however you’re reading it and join us in the Cromwell Arms for a bit of friendly, bookish chitchat and silent reading.
How it works:
+ 5:30pm – arrive, get settled, chitchat
+ 6:00pm – the silent reading hour
+ 7:00pm – more chitchat about what we read
+ 7:30pm – wrap upAll readers welcome, no purchase necessary! No need to register – just pop in. See you there & happy reading!
- Bridge of Storms: A Half-Term Book Event with Philip Reeve
19 February 2025 [3:00-4:00PM]
Riverside Community Centre, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AW
BOOK YOUR SPOT // Tickets are £2 per person
There’s a new Mortal Engines book in town! Join us this February half-term to hear from author Philip Reeve about his brand-new adventure in the Mortal Engines universe, Bridge of Storms. He will give us a sneak peek, answer our burning questions and sign copies of his books. See you there!
Please reserve a copy of the book (£8.99 each) when you register to guarantee availability. Note: all children must be accompanied by an adult. Each child and adult attending must have their own ticket.
This event is co-hosted by Bovey Tracey Public Library & First Draft Books. Funds raised through the ticket sales will go to support the library’s work in our community. Thanks for your support!
- The Reading Social: Torquay’s Silent Book Club
19 February 2025 [5:30-7:30PM]
Upstairs @ TQ BeerWorks, 1A Abbey Crescent, Torquay
Calling all you readers in Torbay who are looking for dedicated time each month to read amongst friends. Grab whatever you’re reading, however you’re reading it and join us upstairs at TQ BeerWorks for a bit of friendly, bookish chitchat and silent reading.
How it works:
+ 5:30pm – arrive, get settled, chitchat
+ 6:00pm – the silent reading hour
+ 7:00pm – more chitchat about what we read
+ 7:30pm – wrap upAll readers welcome, no purchase necessary. And no need to register in advance – just pop in. See you there & happy reading!
- The Invitation: A Book Talk with Veronica Henry
25 February 2026 [7:30-9PM]
Riverside Community Centre, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AW
BOOK YOUR TICKET // £7.50, includes a drink and all proceeds go to Friends of Bovey Library
Join Friends of Bovey Library & First Draft Books for a delightful evening with bestselling author & Libraries Unlimited patron Veronica Henry to celebrate the release of her new book, The Invitation. Veronica will join Leslie from First Draft Books in a brief chat about her life and work before opening it up to your questions. Stick around afterwards to pick up a signed copy of Veronica’s new book.
Veronica has always been involved in storytelling, from her first job typing scripts for The Archers to being writer-in-residence on the Venice-Simplon Orient Express. She was a scriptwriter for many years, working on some of our best-loved dramas including Heartbeat and Holby City. She has written over twenty novels, all published by Orion. She lives on the North Devon coast where she loves walking on the beach, swimming in the sea or watching the sun set with a killer negroni.
Tickets for this event include a complementary drink and all proceeds go to help fund the work of Bovey Tracey Library. Thank you for your support.
- The Writing Social
11 March 2026 [6:30-8:30 PM]
The Cromwell Arms, Fore Street, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AE
The Writing Social is a monthly gathering to work on whatever you’re working on among fellow writers. All abilities welcome – just bring yourself and whatever you’re currently writing on whatever form you prefer (laptops, notebooks, phones, post-its, etc).
We meet on the second Wednesday of each month to write silently together. Here’s how it runs.
6:30PM – Doors open, get settled, say hello
6:45PM – Silent Writing Block #1 Begins
7:30PM – Break, chat about the work; option to head off
7:45PM – Silent Writing Block #2 Begins
8:30PM – Social EndsIt’s a great mix of people at all points in their writing journey. At recent Writing Socials, people were editing articles, starting new stories, and refining novel drafts. So bring whatever you’re working on – or hoping to start – and let’s write together.
This event is free.
- Bovey Book Fest 2026
14 March 2026 [10AM-5PM]
Wickham Hall, 23 Ashburton Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9BY [Author Events]; Bovey Tracey Cricket Club, Newton Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9BY [Community Activities]
BOOK YOUR TICKETS // £3 per person per session (plus booking fees)
Welcome to Bovey Tracey’s very first book festival – and this one’s for the kids!
Join us for a day full of stories and imagination with some of Britain’s very best writers, illustrators and creators.
10:00AM – Celebrate the launch of Reeve & McIntyre‘s newest Adventuremice book.
11:30AM – Dive into the wonderful world of Mikey Please‘s The Cafe at the Edge of the Wood.
1:00PM – Delight in Serena Patel‘s charming & pet-loving Pia’s Pet Club adventures.
2:30PM – Explore the creepy Victorian underworld of Zohra Nabi‘s Cassia Thorne Mysteries.
4:00PM – Revel in the vibrant, joyful chaos of Neill Cameron‘s Donut Squad.
After each interactive session, these amazing authors & illustrators will hang out to sign copies of their books. Visit the Festival Book Table on the day to pick up something special.
Book a ticket for each session you want to attend. Children and adults must each have a ticket.
In addition to our author & illustrator sessions at Wickham Hall, stop by the Pavilion at the Bovey Tracey Cricket Club for even more festival fun from 10AM-4PM, including story time with local authors, crafts, interactive community projects, bookish vendors, and more. All free and open to the whole community.
If you have a young person in your life who loves to read or draw or write, today is their day!
Thanks so much to our partners who are helping make this day possible, including our co-hosts The Rebel Reading Society, and our supporters Bovey Futures, Bovey Tracey Cricket Club, the Almshouse Trust, and Teignbridge District Council.
- Curious Readers Club: Sea Change
24 March 2026 [7:00-8:30PM]
First Draft Books, 54 Fore Street, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AE
JOIN THE CLUB // £5 to join & 10% off the book in-store
The next Curious Readers Club will be digging into Gina Chung’s quietly off-kilter yet emotionally impactful book, Sea Change, on 24 March from 7:00-8:30pm.
We will dig into all the big ideas and small moments that made us feel the feelings. Gina will join us virtually from NYC to answer our questions Plus, when you register for this event, you get 10% off the book when you buy it from the shop (£9.99 RRP).
What to expect:
+ 7:00pm – Settle in with a drink & a biscuit
+ 7:15pm – Book club chat commences
+ 8:00pm – Gina’s virtual Q&A
+ 8:30pm – End of event
Curious Readers Club is a book club for, you guessed it, curious readers. Books are selected by Leslie at First Draft Books with an eye towards unique, thought-provoking (and often debut) titles. Always in paperback. Always discussion-worthy. Join us!
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About the Book
Ro is stuck. She’s just entered her thirties, she’s estranged from her mother, and her boyfriend has just left her to join a mission to Mars. Her days are spent dragging herself to her menial job at a mall aquarium, and her nights are spent drinking sharktinis (Mountain Dew and copious amounts of gin, plus a hint of jalapeño). With her best friend pulling away to focus on her upcoming wedding, Ro’s only companion is Dolores, a giant Pacific octopus who also happens to be Ro’s last remaining link to her father, a marine biologist who disappeared while on an expedition when Ro was a teenager. When Dolores is sold to a wealthy investor intent on moving her to a private aquarium, Ro finds herself on the precipice of self-destruction. Wading through memories of her youth, Ro has one last chance to come to terms with her childhood trauma, recommit to those around her, and find her place in an ever-changing world.
About the Author
Gina Chung is a Korean American writer from New Jersey currently living in New York City. She is the author of the novel Sea Change, which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and a B&N Discover Pick, and the short story collection Green Frog, which was a Good Morning America Book Buzz Pick, an NPR Best Book of the Year, and longlisted for the New American Voices Award. She has received the O. Henry Prize for Short Fiction, a Pushcart Prize, two APALA Adult Fiction Honors, and a Center for Fiction / Susan Kamil Emerging Writer Fellowship. She is a faculty member of the Solstice MFA in Creative Writing Program at Lasell University.
- From Page to Plate: Literary Supper Club
6 May 2026 [7:00-9:00PM]
Moretonhampstead Community Club, 17 Court Street, Moretonhampstead TQ13 8NE
SOLD OUT // £20 per person – To join the waitlist, email [email protected].
Good food, good books, good company. The perfect trio! The Van du Pain and First Draft Books invite you to join us for our literary supper club, From Page to Plate.
How does it work?
-> We cook up a delicious two-course meal inspired by a great book. And it’s BOYB – we’ll have water but you can bring anything else you might enjoy.
-> We provide prompts throughout the evening to support an engaging conversation about the book.
-> You enjoy a wonderful evening of delicious food and rich discussion at your table.
Our next literary supper club will be inspired by The Country of Others by Leïla Slimani, translated by Sam Taylor. A compelling family saga set between France & Morocco in the late 1940s, this book will be the inspiration for a rich conversation and delicious Moroccan-French meal.
You can request a copy of the book through your order form today or pop into one of our shops (54 Fore Street, Bovey Tracey OR Zero Waste Moreton) later. You can also pick up the audiobook here or the e-book here – both of which support our independent bookshop.
Please enter any dietary restrictions or allergies in the designated box during checkout. Liz or Leslie may follow up with you to confirm and clarify any details.
Tickets are transferrable and refundable until one week before the event. Feel free to reach out to Leslie with any questions.
Bon appétit and happy reading!
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ABOUT THE BOOK
1944. After the Liberation, Mathilde leaves France to join her husband in Morocco. But life here is unrecognisable to this brave and passionate young woman. Her life is now that of a farmer’s wife – with all the sacrifices and vexations that brings. Suffocated by the heat, by her loneliness on the farm and by the mistrust she inspires as a foreigner, Mathilde grows increasingly restless. As Morocco’s struggle for independence intensifies, Mathilde and her husband find themselves caught in the crossfire.
