In a rare UK appearance, master of surreal humour, wit and invention, Juan Pablo Villalobos, is joining us to discuss his superb novel, The Past Pursues Us Like Detectives, Debt Collectors, Thieves, in conversation with the poet, translator and academic, Rebecca Kosick.

Translated by Daniel Hahn, the novel follows JP on his return to Mexico to care for his increasingly frail mother. His plan is upended when he becomes the prime suspect in a murder enquiry following an altercation with a childhood 'friend'. The result is a very witty, humane and darkly engrossing novel that further enhances Villlalobos' reputation as a wonderfully singular writer and makes this an event not to be missed!

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Juan Pablo Villalobos was born in Mexico in 1973. He's the author of the novels Down the Rabbit Hole (shortlisted for The Guardian First Book Award), Quesadillas, I'll Sell You a Dog, I Won't Expect Anyone to Believe Me and The Invasion of the Spirit People, and of the non-fiction book The Other Side: Stories of Central American Teens Who Dream of Crossing the Border. His books have been translated into more than 15 languages. Down the Rabbit Hole and I Won't Expect Anyone to Believe Me were adapted for film and premiered on Netflix. He lives in Barcelona, where he teaches writing.

Rebecca Kosick is a poet, translator, and Associate Professor of Comparative Poetry and Poetics at the University of Bristol, where she also codirects the Bristol Poetry Institute. She has published four books, most recently Dispatches from the Avant-Garage: The Alternative Press.

'A rambunctious picaresque of contemporary Mexican life, rendered into English by [Daniel] Hahn with appropriate energy.'
— Kit Maude, Times Literary Supplement

'Juan Pablo Villalobos ... demonstrates his classic wit and penchant for the absurd, blurring the lines of genre and protagonist with its author.'
— Andrés Ordorica, The Skinny

'The Past Pursues Us is a masterful example of how to push autobiography to the extremes of fiction, allowing the imagination to explore themes rooted in the author's life. Themes that, when taken to their limits, reveal a sharp glimpse of an inexorable truth.'
— Nicolás Giacobone, screenwriter of Birdman

We are thrilled to say that we will be joined by artist, curator and writer, Paul Coldwell, who will be discussing his fascinating new book, Ink Paper Chisel Grain: A Remarkable History of Woodcuts.

In the book, Paul examines centuries of art, ideas and creativity generated by what is one of the history's most enduring and adaptable artistic tools. He discusses the work of numerous artists, printers and curators; he visits a host of studios, museums and galleries to present a stunning record of what the woodcut has inspired and enabled.

Here's more on the book from its publisher - Penguin imprint, Michael Joseph:

'Ink Paper Chisel Grain is a book about why the woodcut matters and why its power to shock, thrill and inspire has never diminished. From third-century China through to the present day, celebrated printmaker Paul Coldwell explores how we have used the medium to visualise ideas, capture key moments in history and help shape the society around us, telling the story of the art form itself in all its historical and intellectual significance.

'Beautifully illustrated throughout, Ink Paper Chisel Grain is an ode to craft and care, conveying the marvel and excitement of seeing a woodcut for the first time – and what makes these encounters so unforgettable.'

'A fascinating account of the hidden history of the humble woodcut.'
— Sunday Times

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One of this autumn's non-fiction highlights is Benoît Loiseau's groundbreaking cultural history/memoir crossover, The Death of the Clinic: Radical Experiments in the Art of Medicine. Benoît will be discussing the book with fellow author Claire Carroll.

The Death of the Clinic recounts the development of five experimental medical establishments. These include a post Second World War institute of psychiatry and medical philosophy in a French château; a feminist health centre born from the women's liberation movement in Geneva; and a grassroots research initiative featuring clinical trials run by and for people with AIDS in 1980s–90s New York.

The book sets out, in a very personal way, to honour the individuals who dared to reimagine how humans might care for one another. Benoît also describes his own related experiences and the huge influence of his mother, a dedicated health worker, with several moving 'epistles' written directly to her.

'Divergent and elaborate in the pursuit of its enthusiasms, balancing the personal and the intellectual, The Death of the Clinic is a book of hope and affirmation as well as of pain and grief.'
— Gavin Francis, author of The Unfragile Mind

'Intimate and erudite, breathtaking in its historical analysis and philosophical range, The Death of the Clinic illuminates bold experiments in non-hierarchical medicine, offering expansive possibilities for solidarity, self-determination and communal care.'
— Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, author of Terry Dactyl

We have a unique evening of music and literature lined up for you.

The event will feature a conversation with the much loved multi-award winning writer, Jonathan Coe, and a live performance from two of Bristol's most accomplished classical musicians, Marian Givens and Juliet McCarthy

Jonathan is the author of a host of modern classics such as Middle England, The Rotter's Club, The Proof of My Innocence and What a Carve Up! His new book, Lessons in Harmony, is a stunning, heartfelt novel about the exhilarating beauty and power of music. Set between Britain and Belle Epoque Paris, it is a fictional account of the unlikely friendship between composers Ralph Vaughan Williams and Maurice Ravel, during the turbulent years leading up to and following the First World War.

Jonathan will be in conversation about Lessons in Harmony, and in a special celebration of the book's central theme, there will also be a recital of Ravel's boundary pushing Sonata for Violin and Cello by Bristol Ensemble's Marian Givens and Juliet McCarthy. In the words of the celebrated cellist, Christian Polt�ra, the four movements they will perform are 'arguably the greatest masterpiece for those two instruments.'

This is a unique, one-off opportunity to hear from one of the UK's leading fiction writers of the last several decades, and to experience the work of one of the 20th century's most influential composers.



Jonathan Coe is the award-winning, bestselling author of fifteen novels. He has won the Costa Novel Award, the Prix du Livre Europ�en, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, the Prix M�dicis �tranger and the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize, among many others. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His work has been translated into twenty-two languages.

Marian Givens studied at Royal Holloway University and the Royal Academy of Music. She currently enjoys a varied career, combining her love of both pop and classical music with session and West End work. She has toured with Beverley Knight, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Giorgio Moroder, and is co principal second violin of the Essential Orchestra, touring regularly with Pete Tong and making TV appearances. She also plays in orchestras such as the BBC Concert Orchestra, London Mozart Players, and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and leads string sections for Leo Green and Benjamin Clementine in live shows. She deps on touring shows and recent productions have been Moulin Rouge, Annie, Greatest Showman, Book of Mormon, and Dear Evan Hansen. Marian is a core member the Bristol Ensemble.

Juliet McCarthy played in musical theatre productions on tour and in the West End for 15 years, including two years in London playing on West Side Story. She has played principal cello with Bristol Ensemble, the National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra de Cymru, Swansea City Opera, the British Sinfonietta, and the British Philharmonic Concert Orchestra among many others. As a session cellist Juliet has worked with former Massive Attack producer, Neil Davidge, on Britannia, In the Dark, Black Mirror,The Fear Index and Criminal Record. She also recently played on two Aardman animations productions, As a soloist she can be heard on many productions, including the RTE documentary North Atlantic, the film Ben is Back starring Julia Roberts, The Third Day, an HBO series starring Jude Law and Naomie Harris, and most recently on a short film, Dadio, with Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson. Juliet also teaches at several Bristol schools.

'Please God ... if there is a next life, let me write as well as Jonathan Coe.'
— Anthony Bourdain

'A novelist who gains in range and reputation with every book.'
— Pat Barker

Lessons In Harmony ... is as witty, lapidary and elegant as a Ravel miniature and as rich and deep as Vaughan Williams at his most lyrical. With his love of music, European culture and the foibles of Britishness, Jonathan Coe is uniquely equipped to craft this story of male friendship, art, love and nationhood.'
— Stuart Maconie