Juno Books Presents...
We're really excited to host Juno Books as they present their evening with Eliza Clark in conversation with Holly Williams on Thursday 23rd May.
Rosie and Sarah are the co-founders of Juno Books, an independent intersectional feminist and queer bookshop, based in Sheffield.
Juno Books was born of their mutual love of literature, their passion for inclusive and intersectional feminism, and their desire to support a greater representation of women and marginalised voices in the world of books. They want to challenge and break down stereotypes surrounding these groups in the literary space by stocking a carefully curated selection of literature and genres written predominantly by, for, or about women and other marginalised folk. They are particularly keen to raise up lesser known writers by bringing you the best that local and independent presses have to offer, and carry this work alongside more established writers, with whom we are all familiar.
In Conversation With...
Join Eliza Clark in conversation with Holly Williams to celebrate the launch of the paperback of her second novel Penance.
Named as one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists in 2023 Newcastle-born Eliza Clark is a major new voice in British fiction. Her show-stopping second novel invites us to question our voyeristic love for true crime and explores the secret inner worlds of teenage girls.
Set in the northern seaside town of Crow-on-sea, the novel follows the true-crime journalist Alec Carelli in his investigation of the torture and murder of 16-year-old Joan Wilson at the hands of her three schoolmates - Dolly, Violet and Angelica - on the eve of the Brexit vote. Initially attracting little media interest, three years later the "true-crime industrial complex" descends into Crow spotting an opportunity to make entertainment out of the tragedy.
Tracing the backstory of the murder within a still-grieving community, Carelli explores the relationships between the girls from school popularity politics and serial killer fandom to ritualised occult games and fantasy worlds.
Penance has garnered significant praise and was selected as a Guardian Best Book of the Year and Dazed Best Novel of 2023.
'Compulsive' - Sunday Times
'Chilling, clever and unputdownable' - Guardian
'Confirms Eliza Clark as one of our most exciting new novelists' - i
Eliza Clark is the author of Boy Parts (2020) and Penance (2023). In 2020 Boy Parts was Blackwells Fiction book of the year, and in 2022 Eliza was chosen as a finalist for the Women's Prize Futures Award for writers under thirty-five. In 2023 she was named one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists. She also writes for film and television. A stage adaptation of Boy Parts premiered at Soho Theatre in October 2023.
Holly Williams is a journalist, critic and author of What Time is Love? (2022) and The Start of Something (2024). She writes for publications including The New York Times, The FT, The Telegraph, Vogue and the BBC, as well as working as an arts editor at The Independent. She reviews theatre for The Telegraph and The Stage, and books for The i, The Observer and The TLS. She was born in Wales and lives in Sheffield.
Guests are welcome to arrive from 6:30pm for the event to start at 7pm.
