Sarah's writing journal

JUNE EVENTS at the London Review Bookshop, 14 Bury Place, London WC1A 2JL
Tel: 020 7269 9030 Fax: 020 7269 9033
Email: books@lrbshop.co.uk

George Saunders 31 May at 7 p.m.
George Saunders, whose work has been described by Thomas Pynchon as "graceful, dark, authentic and funny", and who was recognized as one of the 20 best American fiction writers by the New Yorker, will discuss and read from his new collection of short stories, The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil (Bloomsbury), which includes the winner of the National Magazine Award, The Red Bow. He will be in conversation with Scarlett Thomas.

Gautam Malkani on Londonstani 8 June at 7 p.m.
One of this year's most talked about novels, Londonstani, set close to the Heathrow feed roads of Hounslow, exposes a city where young Asians struggle to assert their own brands of Britishness whilst simultaneously trying to preserve ties to their parents' traditions. Written in the swirling slang of these young men, it explores aggressive machismo, tribalism and racial integration in Britain's neglected suburban communities.

Stephen O'Shea: The Cross and the Crescent 21 June at 7 p.m.
In partnership with the British Museum and as part of their Middle East Now programme (18 May to 3 September), Stephen O'Shea will read from his new book Sea of Faith (Profile) and lead a discussion with Robert Irwin and Inayat Bunglawala on the shared history of Islam and Christianity, and the lessons that can be learnt from the past.
NB This event takes place in the Reading Room of the British Museum. Tickets are £5 (£3 LRB subscribers) and are only available from the BM box office (0207 323 8181 or boxoffice@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk).Further details at: http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/middleeastnow

Platonov's Fourteen Little Red Huts 29 June at 7 p.m.
In association with Academia Rossica, Robert Chandler, leading translator of the Russian writer Andrei Platonov, will introduce the play, explain how it came to be written and compare the relative differences in translating a play from prose. After a brief interval, a shortened version of the play will be performed by professional actors under the direction of Noah Birksted-Breen of the International Freedom Network. The play, written in 1932-3, addresses the hunger, trauma and confusion which accompanied a period of rapid collectivization and the unmasking of unexpected "class enemies".

Other Events upcoming:

* Bill Buford on Heat July 13
* Michael McClure on The Beard July 24
* Jenny Diski July 27
* Banipal Arabic Writers August 15
* Andrew O'Hagan on Be Near Me September 13 (changed from August 31)