Welcome
books on the walls: where stories, sounds and spirits intertwine in the heart of Chester.
Nestled within Chester's historic city walls, books on the walls is more than just a bookshop – we're a haven where stories come alive and individuals connect.
Our carefully curated space brings together a perfect blend of contemporary culture and timeless traditions.
Discover Your Perfect Reading Companion
Step into our welcoming space and explore our thoughtfully selected collection of books spanning every genre.
Whether you’re seeking your next literary adventure, diving into challenging histories or browsing for the perfect Chester gift, our friendly staff are here to guide you through our selection.
You’ll discover the unexpected as well as revel in familiar favourites.
We’re also always happy to source your own requests.
More Than books
Banish your phone and immerse yourself in our unique atmosphere where literature meets lifestyle:
Artisanal Coffee Bar: Start your day with lovingly nurtured and locally roasted coffee while enjoying your latest read
Craft Beer, Cider and Fine Martinis: Unwind with our handpicked selection of local beers, ciders and spirits
Vinyl & Music Collection: Spin some grooves from our record collection on our in-house turntable and peruse our treasury of new vinyl, cds and cassettes for sale
Daily Press: Stay informed with our wide range of local and national newspapers and periodicals
Art Space: Explore contemporary works by local artists, available to purchase
Board Game Library: Make a new connection over a game of Chester Monopoly
Salty and Sugary Snacks: Graze upon our small but perfectly formed range for our canine as well as human visitors
Our Local Suppliers Include:
Our Local Suppliers Include:
Bread Together, Chester
Providence Gin, Chester
The Ice Cream Farm, Tattenhall
Orchards Farm, Tattenhall
Adams and Russell Coffee Roasters, Birkenhead
Nicaragua, The Tierre Madre Women's Co-operative
Costa Rica, San Jorge produced by Coopeagri Cooperative
Peru produced by Lambayeque Women's Cooperative
Honduras, Amprocal Women's Cooperative
From Bristol, Zuma
Hafod Brewing Company, Mold
Quinteassential Fine Teas, Chester
Sophia Shaw, Art & Illustration, Chester
em in stitches designs, Chester
Untamed Photography Boutique, Chester
ngazi coffee, Chester and the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda
Lesley Haynes, Chester
Nikki Pinder, Liverpool
Weetwood Ales, Chester
Find Us in Historic Chester
Located at 2 City Walls, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2JG, we’re proud to be part of the fabric of this fantastic city.
Our incredible location on Chester’s famous walls makes us the perfect destination for both locals and visitors seeking a unique experience.
Whether you’re searching for your next favourite book, the perfect album or simply a peaceful spot to enjoy quality coffee and good company, books on the walls welcomes you.
Our friendly team is ready to help you discover something special and truly social.
Don’t Miss Out on Local Events
Want to hear about upcoming books on the walls events and other exciting happenings at your local bookshops?
Sign up at National Book Tokens to get updates on author visits, community events, and bookstore news — all straight to your inbox.
books on the walls Poet in Residence: Andy Porter
books on the walls is delighted to announce the residency of Andy Porter. Andy will be busy unearthing the poet in those who visit the bookshop and developing the poetic opportunities on offer – with the support of a velvety stream of cappuccino froth.
Andy is a Cheshire based poet He has been writing poems since 2020 after working for over 30 years as an advertising scriptwriter, copywriter and director.
Andy’s debut poetry collection, “Neighbour’s Got a New Hot Tub” was launched in July 2025 by independent Irish publisher, Luain Press.
The following month Andy was invited to appear with Rising Tide Events at Electric Picnic, Ireland’s biggest music festival. He performs regularly at Spoken Word nights and is just as happy performing in front of an audience of a handful of people as he is in front of a theatre or festival audience of 150. Andy's work has featured on several podcasts and his poem "You Can't Take it with You" is in The Poetry's Dead's second anthology (published January 2026). His second full collection will be published later this year. Andy lives with his wife Kathy in the village of Great Barrow, where he is surrounded by lunatics, most of whom are his friends.
“These entertaining, high-spirited poems are packed with humour and crafted rhyme. Andy Porter has a natural facility for memorable words, phrases and titles to make you smile” Greg Freeman, Write Out Loud
“Funny, fab images, joyous juxtapositions” Neil Mullarkey, Co-founder,
The Comedy Store
“A bloody great poet!” Leon Dunne, All Ireland Poetry Slam Champion 2022
“Your book is an amazing achievement (& very funny) - well done mate!”
Mike Garry
Tik Tok: @andyspangles
Insta: @andyporterpoet
CraftTea
Weekly Event
Wednesdays 2-3pm
A relaxed, chatty crafting hour. Bring along some bits and bobs and get making with a pot of tea and good company at books on the walls
National Book Tokens Award
We’re delighted to share that books on the walls was awarded National Book Tokens Bookshop of the Month for August 2025!
We are also proud to be both a supplier and redeemer of National Book Tokens – the perfect gift for book lovers.
Upcoming Events at books on the walls (June 2026)
Author Event with Matt Cain: The Castle of Stories (Pansy)
Wednesday 10 June 2026
6-7.30pm
books on the walls is delighted to welcome Matt Cain (One Love)for the launch of The Castle of Stories - a moving, heartwarming and uplifting novel about modern family in all its forms, what it means to love, and the importance of understanding your own story.
When 45-year-old Adam inherits a rundown farmhouse and castle in Tuscany from a great uncle he didn’t know existed, he quits his job in Manchester to renovate the property. He’s thrilled his boyfriend of two years, newly divorced and out-of-the-closet Theo, is joining him. But Theo’s ex-wife says she can’t take their children for the summer, so they come too. As the temperature rises, so does the tension. The kids are hostile to Adam, immune to the beauty of the rural location – and scared of the resident lizards.
As Adam explores the crumbling walls of the castle and sorts through his uncle’s possessions, he discovers some dark family secrets. But could they finally allow him to break free from the pain of the past, start building a new family and open a life of queer joy?
Matt Cain is a writer, broadcaster, publisher and leading commentator on LGBTQ+ issues. He was Channel 4's first Culture Editor, Editor-In-Chief of Attitude magazine, has written for all the national newspapers, and has appeared on BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, The Today Programme and Lorraine. He's a patron of LGBT+ History Month, has received an honorary doctorate from Bolton University, addressed the Cambridge Union, and in 2025 was awarded an MBE for services to LGBTQ+ culture. Matt's bestselling novels include The Madonna Of Bolton, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle and One Love. His latest, The Castle of Stories, will be published in June 2026 as the first title from Pansy, the independent publisher he's set up with his husband Harry Glasstone to prioritise queer authors and put queer-themed books first. Born in Bury and brought up in Bolton, Matt now lives in London with Harry and their dog, Teddy.
Tickets are free but need to be booked. The books on the walls bar and barista service will be open for the event. Eventbrite - Author Event with Matt Cain: The Castle of Stories (Pansy) Tickets, Wednesday 10 June • 6 PM - 7:30 PM | Eventbrite
Image credited to 'The Authors Lounge'
Kate Roberts - Dahab: Gold on Gold
Thursday 11 June 2026
6-7.30pm
Kate Roberts (Nomadikat) is an author, photographer, and interdisciplinary artist whose work explores place, memory, and belonging.
Since her arrival in Dahab just over three years ago, Kate has been gathering impressions, encounters, and stories of the town - listening closely to its landscapes and to the people who call it home.
These magical meetings with fellow Dahabians culminated in the photographic book Dahab: Gold on Gold. The book brings together 33 photographs taken in 33 locations across Dahab, each accompanied by three words shared by 33 local participants, presented in both English and Arabic.
The locations are mapped using the locational app what3words, grounding each image and voice precisely in place.
Kate will be sharing the story behind the project, the making of the book, and her ongoing creative journey, with time for conversation and book signing.
Tickets can be booked on Eventbrite or with books on the walls.
Bookmark ticket created by @NAMO.I.I
An Author Evening with Luca Veste: Liar Liar (4 June 26, Harper Collins)
In Conversation with Author David Jackson
Tuesday 16 June 2026
6-7.30pm
If no one believes you, no one will help you…Once hailed as Liverpool’s finest detective, Mark Fletcher brought a serial killer to justice and earned the city’s admiration. But when he's accused of working with Liverpool's most notorious crime family, his legacy is shattered – and so is his life.
Now disgraced and spiralling, Fletcher wakes up in a hotel room with no memory of the last 24 hours… and a dead body beside him.
The evidence says he did it. His instincts say otherwise. Hunted by the force he once served, Fletcher must uncover the truth – not just to clear his name, but to survive. Because someone wants him silenced, and they’ll stop at nothing to finish what they started…
Luca Veste is the internationally bestselling author of ten novels, including The Bone Keeper and the Murphy and Rossiseries. He is the bass player in the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers band, co-host of the hit podcast Two Crime Writers and a Microphone, and the co-founder of the Locked Up Festival, which raised over £25,000 for the Trussell Trust charity. He studied psychology and criminology at the University of Liverpool, and lives in Merseyside with his wife and two daughters.
David Jackson’s debut novel, Pariah, was Highly Commended in the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Awards. He has written a string of internationally published crime thrillers since then, including the bestseller Cry Baby, listed by Amazon as one of their Best Books of the Year. His most recent novel, Love Kills, continues a police procedural series set in Liverpool. When not murdering fictional people, David spends some of his time writing scripts, including several episodes of the award-winning ‘Short History Of…’ podcast series. He lives on the Wirral with his family and a British Blue cat called Mr Tumnus.
‘Properly Stephen King style creepy’ – Ian Rankin
‘A UK thriller writer who gives giants like Linwood Barclay and Harlan Coben a run for their money.’ – Mark Billingham
Book your free ticket with hello@booksonthewalls.com
You are invited to a cosy games night which usually takes place on a Thursday, once a month. Play one of the board and table-top games at books on the walls or turn up with a favourite from home.
Inspired by the Middle East, France and Italy, we will serve some Bread Together vegan specials, hand-made slow fermented pizza slices with a variety of toppings. One books on the walls beverage of your choice is also included in the ticket price.
Please book tickets with books on the walls hello@booksonthewalls.com or Games Night Tickets, Thursday 18 June • 6 PM - 7:30 PM | Eventbrite
Tickets £5
A Poet in Residence Event with Playwright Simon Stephens: Sea Wall
Saturday 20th June 2026
4-5.30pm
Join Simon Stephens for a conversation about his work with a particular focus on the filmed version of Sea Wall, featuring Andrew Scott and directed by Andy Porter (Poet in Residence at books on the walls).
For more than twenty-five years Simon Stephens’ work has been widely translated and produced throughout the world. He has won many Awards including Olivier and Tony Awards for new plays.
His 2026 play An Ark staged by Tin Drum Collective at the Shed in New York was one of the first plays ever written for Mixed Reality. His radical adaptation of Uncle Vanya, Vanya, starring Andrew Scott, ran in London’s West End and at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York between Autumn 23 and Spring 25 and was screened to phenomenal success on NT Live and NT Home.
His adaptation of Jose Saramago’s Blindness was made into a light and sound installation that was produced internationally during the Covid 19 pandemic. His most famous play is his adaptation of Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. He has had thirty five original plays produced professionally.
He has written new English language versions of masterpieces by Chekhov, Ibsen and Brecht, collaborated with the world’s leading theatre practitioners (Patrice Chereau, Ivo Van Hove, Marianne Elliott, Katie Mitchell) and produced original work throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas.
He has been Artistic Associate at the Lyric, Hammersmith and Associate Playwright at the Royal Court Theatre. He has taught playwriting workshops in five continents. He has presented four series of the celebrated Playwright’s Podcast from the Royal Court Theatre. He is a Professor at the Writing School of Manchester Metropolitan University.
His book "A Working Diary" was published by Methuen Bloomsbury in 2016.
He lives in East London with his wife, three children, their snake, two cats and two dogs.
Simon’s adaptation of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of A Dog in the Night-Time will run at the Storyhouse from Tuesday 16 March 16 until Saturday 20 March 2027.
Please book your ticket (£5, including a drink and Bread Together pizza) with books on the walls at hello@booksonthewalls.com.
Women’s Book Swap Club
Wednesday 24 or Thursday 25 June 2026
6-7.30pm
at
Amblongus
Bring along a book to discuss and then swap with another participant.
Inspired by the Middle East, France and Italy, we will serve some Bread Together vegan specials, hand-made slow fermented pizza slices with a variety of toppings. A glass of wine will also be included in your ticket price.
Please book tickets with either Amblongus or books on the walls
hello@booksonthewalls.com or amblongusbooks@gmail.com
Tickets £5
books on the walls, 2 City Walls, Chester CH1 2JG
Amblongus, 19 Upper Northgate Street, Chester CH1 4EE
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Book Launch with Cheshire Author
Claire Back: A Deadly Summer
(30 June 26, Cranthorpe Millner)
Tuesday 30 June 2026
11 – 12pm
A female-led crime mystery, exploring buried trauma, lifelong guilt and the desire to protect those we love. The book showcases the breath-taking Pembrokeshire coastline where Claire was born and raised. With a unique dual timeline narrative,
A Deadly Summer interweaves the discovery of a hidden body in an abandoned seaside hotel with the 1980s coming-of-age backstory of the victim and her friends. Broadchurch meets Unforgotten, with dark and colourful characters, family drama, unexpected twists and a final outcome that isn’t perfect justice.
After a successful career in finance, Claire retrained to work in Early Years education and is currently writing her second novel - another mystery
set in wartime Wales. A keen walker and gardener, she lives with her husband and two spaniels very near Chester.
‘Accomplished and tight, with pacing and narrative that reads like someone’s tenth novel, not their first. The detail is immaculate and the writing is beautiful. I fell into this world completely and would happily fall into it again with a follow-up please! Loved it.’
Caroline Corcoran, author of Tiny Dagger
‘A fabulous debut with a brilliant twisty end.’ Louise Minchin
Free, drop-in
Upcoming Events at books on the walls (July 2026)
Author Event with Thomas Crowther: Nature's Echo
(4 Jun 26, Transworld)
Thursday 2 July 2026
6-7.30pm
When Earth's ecosystems fall out of harmony, the damage can spiral out of control. But what if we could help nature to regain its balance?
As a leading ecologist, Professor Thomas Crowther studies not just how species work in isolation, but how complex ecosystems regulate themselves.
When nature’s cycles are allowed to build momentum, each species can create the conditions to allow others to thrive. From the birth of galaxies to the creation of life, the greatest transformations in our universe have been driven by quiet, self-reinforcing processes known as feedback loops.
Drawing on cutting-edge ecological science, gripping personal narrative and initiatives already happening around the world, Nature’s Echo shows how natural feedback loops have astonishing power to rebound, even with minor intervention. If we can only realize how integral we are to this highly interconnected natural world, we will re-discover the path to a better future.
Thomas Crowther is a professor of global ecology and founding chair of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. He is the president of the Branch Institute, an international network of research groups in leading universities across 6 countries, focussed on understanding the linkages between global biodiversity and human wellbeing. In 2020, he founded Restor.eco, an online platform that supports hundreds of thousands of community-led nature initiatives to access data and sustainable financing. In 2022 the WEF recognized Crowther as a Young Global Leader for his work on global biodiversity protection.
Must read: Nature’s Echo is the scientific basis for optimism, showing that true regeneration is within our grasp. The Edge, U2
Earth-restoring and life-affirming with a vital message for our times. Dive in.
Kate Raworth, author of bestseller Doughnut Economics
Book your free ticket with books on the walls.
@nunya_bisnis_art
Christopher Tradgett: Just Another Tuesday in Manhattan
Saturday 4 July 2026
2-2.30pm
Christopher Tradgett started writing fiction just recently, after going along to the Write Here, Write Now group at Chester's Storyhouse early last year.
The writing to prompts exercises led initially to some short stories, one of which was featured in the Northwich Literature Festival 2025. This paved the way to another short story, which soon grew to an over 50,000 word novel - Just Another Tuesday in Manhattan.
The story explores themes around adoption, family relationships and friendships against a backdrop of Manhattan, Long Island and ending up in Dublin.
Other recent publications include some short stories and a set of dramatic monologues on themes around climate change.
Christopher has two other projects on the go - novels based in and around Cheshire.
Free, drop-in
Conversation with Nino Anastasio with reference to Kogi Wisdom: A Book of Balance by Lucas Bucholz (Harper Collins)
Saturday 11 July 2026
2-2.30pm
Nino has spent the last 9 years connected with the Kogi. Some of that time was amongst the Kogi themselves. The photograph is of Nino in the Sierra Nevada de Marta, near a village called Sezhua. He will share his experiences, as he experienced them, with references to Lucas Bucholz’ Kogi Wisdom: A Book of Balance.
Free, drop in
Author Event with Harriet Evans: The Treasures (Viking)
Wednesday 15 July 2026
6-7.30pm
Magnificent. It has that vast sweeping sense of a huge story and such a powerfully compelling world. I enjoyed it so much. Marian Keyes
Meet bestselling author Harriet Evans and celebrate the release of the paperback edition of The Treasures, Book 1 in the Sevenstones Trilogy - a gorgeous new family trilogy: big-hearted, mysterious and stylish telling the story of one family’s lives, loves and homes. Harriet has written an enthralling love story which transports you from the sunny orchards of New England and bohemian Manhattan, via the bustle of post-war Notting Hill to the charm of a truly magical house, Sevenstones.
Every year, Alice's father gave her a treasure. But by the morning of her sixteenth birthday, her final gift has vanished and with it the fragile certainty of her world. Alice runs – towards New York City, and away from the memories of that last golden summer at the orchard where she grew up. Across the Atlantic, Tom spent his childhood losing so many of the things and people that really mattered to him. Then a forgotten letter comes to light, and Tom leaves Sevenstones – the house that has shaped his family for generations – to find a truth long kept hidden. When Alice and Tom collide, will the precious secrets that bind them bring them closer, or break them apart?
Harriet Evans is the author of thirteen bestselling novels, most recently The Beloved Girls, a Richard and Judy Book Club Selection and the Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller The Garden of Lost and Found, which won Good Housekeeping's Book of the Year. She lives in Bath with her family and writes full time, when not distracted by her children, other books, gardening, her jumpsuit collection and star-gazing. @harrietevansauthor
Filled with intricate detail, this book will entrance and move you.
Harriet Evans is a master storyteller. Katie Fforde
Tickets free but need to be booked – hello@booksonthewalls.com or Eventbrite Author Event with Harriet Evans: The Treasures (Viking) Tickets, Wednesday 15 July • 6 PM - 7:30 PM | Eventbrite
Poet in Residence Book Launch
Andy Porter: Sourdough in Stilettos (1 July 26, Luain Press)
Friday 17 July 2026
6-7.30pm
From kangaroos at barbecues to ageing cyclists, lemon meringue pie to encounters with aliens, mischievous dancers to stargazing labradors; each acutely observed slice of life veers between achingly funny and poignant.
This sharp and tasty collection of poems is hot from the oven - packed with humour, wit and affection. Porter strikes again with his most ambitious work to date and the perfect follow up to his sparkling debut, Neighbour's Got a New Hot Tub.
Please book your free ticket with books on the walls.
Karen Ankers: Novelist, Poet & Playwright
Saturday 18 July 2026
2-2.30pm
Karen Ankers is a novelist, poet and playwright who spent much of her life in Chester before moving to Anglesey. A former member of the Chester Poets, she has written three novels: The Crossing Place (which is set in Chester), The Stone Dancers, and Luca. Karen’s novels are often socially and environmentally motivated.
Her fourth novel, Vivo, due to be published by Bridge House very soon, seeks to re-examine the concept of humanity by telling the story of a woman who evolves to be a plant/animal/human hybrid. Vivo has been described by philosopher Matthew Calarco as ‘a profound meditation on the love required to abandon ourselves to the world’.
Karen’s poems have been published in various magazines and anthologies.
Her short plays, published by Lazybee Scripts, have been performed in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Malaysia, and regularly win awards at drama festivals. She has also written a short film, The Afterplanner, directed by Ben Mole, which won first prize in its category at the 2018 International Shorts Festival in Canada.
With a PhD in Creative Writing from Bangor University, Karen works freelance as an editor, mentor, and Creative Writing tutor, and really enjoys helping other writers develop their voice. She enjoys helping to organise literary events in her local area and has directed several successful theatre productions.
Free, drop-in
Andy Sawyer: Book Launch – Terry Pratchett (28 May, Liverpool University Press)
Friday 24 July 2026
6-7.30pm
Andy Sawyer is a long-time reader of science fiction and fantasy, who has been accused of turning his hobby into a job. From 1993-2018 he was librarian of the Science Fiction Foundation Collection at the University of Liverpool Library. From 2002-2012 he directed an MA in Science Fiction Studies for the University’s Department of English in which he is now an Honorary Senior Research Fellow.
The 2008 recipient of the Science Fiction Research Association’s Clareson Award for services to science fiction, he was Guest Curator of the British Library Exhibition “Out of This World: Science Fiction But Not as You Know It” (20 May – 25 Sep 2011) and an advisor to the “Into the Unknown” exhibition at the Barbican Centre London (3 June 3 – 1 Sept 2017).
He co-edited (with David Ketterer) Plan For Chaos, a previously-unpublished novel by John Wyndham (Liverpool University Press, 2009) and (with Peter Wright) Teaching Science Fiction (Palgrave 2011). He most recently a critical edition of Jane Webb Loudon’s 1827 The Mummy!, one of the earliest British science fiction novels, and served as co-editor for Ghosts & Scholars, a journal devoted to the work of the ghost story writer M. R. James.
His book on Terry Pratchett partly came about because, as a librarian, he identified with a character whose three hundred pounds of muscle, huge yellow fangs, and hair-trigger temper, meant that "budget cuts" were something that happened to other people. He suspects, though, that that he may also be one of the "Critters" inhabiting L-space who "crawled past, grazing on the contents of the choicer books and leaving behind them piles of small slim volumes of literary criticism".
Book your free ticket with books on the walls.
Upcoming Events at books on the walls (September 2026)
Local Author Event with CJ Richie: The Omniscio and Operation Red Fur
Saturday 5 September 2026
2-2.30pm
C J Richie is a local author and the creator of The Omniscio and the companion adventure Operation Red Fur. Her stories combine mystery and adventure with themes of friendship, courage and hope.
Set in a world where ordinary lives can conceal extraordinary secrets, her books follow memorable characters as they face danger, forge unexpected friendships and discover strengths they never realised they had.
She is currently writing the next adventure in The Monkey Puzzle Tree Series.
Free, drop-in
Anne Wilson: Adelaide’s Gift
Saturday 12 September 2026
2-2.30pm
Anne is looking forward to discussing her debut novel, Adelaide’s Gift — a sweeping tale of ambition, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bond between siblings.
The story begins in 1960s Liverpool, where Grace Ellwood uncovers an ornate music box among her late mother’s belongings. Its contents lead her father, Joseph, to finally reveal the long-buried truth about his sister, Adelaide.
He takes Grace back to 1904, when Joseph and Adelaide are enjoying a privileged upbringing in Wellington, New Zealand. Adelaide is a gifted pianist whose quiet determination is tested by expectations, secrets, and a shadowy adversary intent on derailing her happiness.
Spanning more than fifty years, Adelaide’s Gift explores the choices that shape us, the secrets that haunt us, and a past that refuses to stay silent.
Anne writes from a deep love of history, nature, and the quiet rhythms of family life. Adelaide’s Gift grew from fragments of her own family history and a lifelong fascination with the stories that shape us.
Alongside her writing, Anne works as a commercial manager and is a qualified proofreader who loves shaping language with care and ensuring every word earns its place on the page.
Anne lives in Chester and is an enthusiastic writer, reader and a lifelong bibliophile.
She is a proud Mum to 2 daughters and Nanna to 5 grandchildren, and the family’s storyteller whose shelves and heart are always full of books.
anne.wilson@thesuccessfactory.co.uk
@annewilsons_storygarden
The Creative Language Of Colour Workshop with Debbie Baxter
Wednesday 16 September 2026
6-8pm
Join artist and author Debbie Baxter for a joyful, hands-on creative workshop exploring colour and the magic of painting.
Debbie, author of The Creative Language Of Water, will share her expertise and enthusiasm for creative exploration, guiding you through playful experiments with colour, mark-making, and expressive painting.
Come and join us for a fun, relaxed, and inspiring two-hour session, where Debbie will take you on a hands-on creative journey and help you reconnect with the sheer joy of making art.
All welcome – no previous experience needed, just curiosity and a willingness to experiment.
Tickets £85 (includes paint and materials). Book with books on the walls.
Jen A. Egerton: Bonds of Blood and Duty
Saturday 26 September 2026
2-3pm
Jen A. Egerton is a teacher, mother, and the author of the enchanting romantasy novel Bonds of Blood and Duty. Fascinated by magical realms since childhood, Jen eventually realised (after a few misadventures) that conjuring worlds on paper was a safer bet than attempting to open a portal herself.
Jen will be discussing her debut romantasy novel, Bonds of Blood and Duty. Inspired by her son who was born with a rare genetic condition, Jen’s novel explores what it means to have a child born different in a world that doesn’t tolerate difference.
Bonds of Blood and Duty is packed with rival fae, forbidden romance and the sacrifices of motherhood.
For more information, visit Jen’s website www.jenaegerton.com or follow her on TikTok (@jen.a.egerton) or Instagram (@jen_a_egerton).
Free, drop-in
Upcoming Events at books on the walls (October 2026)
A Poet in Residence Event with Isabelle Kenyon (Fly on the Wall Press)
Thursday 8 October 2026
6-7.30pm
Are you looking to get published?
Join us for a Q&A event with Isabelle Kenyon, Managing Director of Fly on the Wall Press (x6 finalist, Small Press of the Year, British Book Awards) about the different avenues to getting your book out in the world.
We will cover agents, independent publishers, publication journeys, and what to expect along the way - warts and all!
Fly on the Wall Press books have been listed in the Dublin Literary Award 2026, the Women's Prize 2026, the Sky Arts Award 2025 and the Laurel Prize for Poetry.
Tickets £8 – book with hello@booksonthewalls.com
Local Author Event
Jack Callaghan: Wyrd Water
Saturday 10 October 2026
2-2.30pm
Jack Callaghan is a Chester based writer of speculative fiction. He'll be reading from his novel Wyrd Water, a Folk Horror story set in the lake district during the 1970s.
Anyone who buys a copy on the day will get the chance to have a rummage in the Rune bag. Pull the mysterious blank Wyrd rune, and you'll win a fabulous plague doctor rubber duck!
Free, drop-in
Author Event and Book Launch with Dave Haslam: Creative Journeys
Tuesday 27 October 2026
6-7.30pm
books on the walls is thrilled to welcome legendary DJ, music journalist and author Dave Haslam to celebrate the launch of Creative Journeys (Manchester University Press).
Creative Journeys is a collection of conversations that Dave has had with creative trailblazers. Over forty years the DJ, writer and broadcaster has interviewed some of the most fascinating figures in music, literature, film and art. The book gathers revelatory conversations with creative characters including Neneh Cherry, Maxine Peake, Lemn Sissay, Andrew Weatherall, Raymond Carver and Jeremy Deller.
From politics and performance to art, fame and addiction, Haslam's interviewees speak with honesty about their creative journeys. Viv Albertine discusses ‘Typical Girls’ and Paddy Considine recalls Dead Man’s Shoes. Jarvis Cocker goes deep into ‘This is Hardcore’. Terry Hall and Miki Berenyi speak about childhood trauma. Bernard Sumner recalls the loss of Ian Curtis. Jonathan Franzen talks about torturing his characters. There’s darkness but much humour too.
The interviews provide fascinating stories of unorthodox, creative artists navigating negativity and personal setbacks to become celebrated cultural icons
Dave Haslam has been described as a ‘genius’ by Courtney Love and an ‘exceptional writer’ by Olivia Laing. He has worked as a journalist, broadcaster, DJ and interviewer. In the mid-1980s he was running a fanzine, writing for the NME and beginning a 450 night DJ residency at the Haçienda. He has gone on to DJ internationally, curate art events across Europe and write five full-length books, including the acclaimed memoir Sonic Youth Slept on My Floor (2018). books on the walls always has a Dave book on the shelves.
Dave will be talking about his book and answering questions from the audience, followed by a book signing and a chance for a chat. The books on the walls bar and barista service (Literary Cocktail of the month included) will be operating for the event.
Book your free ticket on Eventbrite or with books on the walls.
Photography by Chris Payne
Upcoming Events at books on the walls (November 2026)
Author Event with Sophie Oliver: What the Dresses Know – a women’s history of modernism told through clothes (Manchester University Press)
Tuesday 10 November 2026
6-7.30pm
books on the walls is stoked to host Sophie Oliver for the launch What the dresses know: A women’s history of modernism told through clothes.
Pioneering women were at the heart of the movement known as modernism. Sophie offers a new account of their radical experiments and extraordinary lives, told through the clothes they made and wore.
From a dress Vanessa Bell rescued from the London Blitz to Frida Kahlo’s huipiles and a waistcoat embroidered for Gertrude Stein by Alice B. Toklas, these special objects tell a story of artists seeking transformation. But getting dressed is rarely straightforward. Modernist women used clothes to think through the contradictions of the modern world: the inequalities of industrialisation, the terrible conformities demanded by fascism and racism and the call of feminists, socialists and avant-gardists to act differently and take up new forms of art.
What the dresses know is an exhilarating account of women’s bold attempts to make history during years of tumultuous change. A distinctive new voice in cultural criticism, Sophie uses clothes to explore the challenges modernist women faced – and to understand her own impulses in writing about them.
Sophie Oliver is a critic, curator and academic at the University of Liverpool, where she teaches modernism and feminism. An AHRC/ BBC New Generation Thinker, she writes for the Times Literary Supplement, Literary Review and Art Review and has curated exhibitions at the British Library, the National Poetry Library and the Harry Ransom Center.
Book your free ticket on Eventbrite or with books on the walls. The books on the walls bar and barista service will be in operation for the event.
Martyn Howe: The Coast Is Our Compass (March 2026, Bradt)
Saturday 21 November 2026
2-2.30pm
Why do we walk? Why do we like to be beside the sea? And what happens when you infuse these questions into a journey around the coast of England – a pilgrimage in search of art, culture, community and glorious natural wealth along the world’s longest managed coastal path? Extending well beyond the confines of a walking memoir, The Coast is our Compass addresses all this and more.
Free, drop-in
Upcoming Events at books on the walls (December 2026)
Christmas Rag Wreath Workshop with Lexi
Saturday 5 December 2026
2.30 - 4pm
Join Lexi (maker of the Handmade Book Sleeve) for a festive and creative afternoon at books on the walls. Embrace the holiday spirit by crafting your very own charming rag wreath, perfect for decorating your home or gifting to loved ones.
Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to get hands-on with holiday décor and celebrate the season in style.
Book with Lexi on Eventbrite: Christmas Rag Wreath Workshop Tickets, Saturday, December 5 • 2:30 PM - 4 PM | Eventbrite
@LoveLexiCrafts
Upcoming Events at books on the walls (January 2027)
Author Event with Gareth Robinson: A Curious Legacy
Saturday 2nd January 2027
2-2.30pm
Gareth Robinson first encountered the Falkland Islands in a school atlas, during an O-level geography lesson in the autumn of 1975. What followed was indeed a curious legacy from that lesson. In his book, A Curious Legacy…the author writes about his fascination with the Falkland Islands, and his mission to get all over the Islands, much of it on foot.
It was to be January 1998 before he managed to get to the Falklands, and much had happened in the intervening years. Tourism was then in its early days. As Gareth pursued that mission to get all over the Islands - 11 visits and counting - the increased opportunities facilitated the pursuit.
At his first talk and slide show in January of this year, he gave an insight into the attractions of the Falklands, and illustrated this with photographs taken from islands and hilltops which few get to visit. Join him for a further talk and slide show, which will draw out the enterprising way in which 'land-based tourism' has been developed, and will include a slide selection of Falklands wildlife, and the empty, peaceful coastlines which are so much part of an island archipelago.
Free, drop-in
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