This Book Event has already taken place

Dead Souls

At: The Portobello Bookshop

On:27th May 2021, 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Dead Souls at The Portobello Bookshop

This event was hosted on Thursday 27th May.

REPLAY AVAILABLE HERE

 

We're looking forward to welcoming Sam Riviere to Portobello for a special 'live from the bookshop' event to celebrate the publication of his debut novel, Dead Souls. He will be in conversation with fellow Edinburgh-based poet and writer Rosa Campbell.

 

I first heard about Solomon Wiese on a bright, blustery day on the South Bank…’

Later that evening, at the bar of the Travelodge near Waterloo Bridge, our unnamed narrator will encounter that very same Solomon Wiese.

In a conversation that lasts until morning, he will hear Solomon Wiese’s story of his spectacular fall from grace.

A story about a scandal that has shaken the literary world and an accusation of serial plagiarism.

A story about childhood encounters with nothingness and a friend’s descent into psychosis; about conspiracies and poetry cults; about a love affair with a woman carrying a signpost and the death of an old poet.

A story about a retreat to the East Anglian countryside and plans for a triumphant return to the capital, through the theft of poems, illegal war profits and faked social media accounts – plans in which our unnamed narrator discovers he is obscurely implicated…

A story that will take the entire night – and the remainder of the novel – to tell.

 

Sam Riviere is the author of the poetry collections 81 Austerities (2012), winner of the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, and Kim Kardashian’s Marriage (2015), as well as numerous limited-edition titles. He runs the micropublisher If a Leaf Falls Press. Dead Souls is his debut novel.

Rosa Campbell lives in Edinburgh & teaches at the University of St Andrews, where she has just completed a PhD on the women poets of the New York School. She is Editor-in-Chief of The Scores (thescores.org.uk), & her poetry has previously appeared in Perverse, Ambit, Gutter, SPAM Zine, the Oxonian Review & elsewhere. Her first book, a long lyric essay on grief & houseplants, is forthcoming with Broken Sleep Books in 2021. She tweets as @rosaetc.

Sam and Rosa will join us in the bookshop and their socially distanced conversation will be streamed live to attendees viewing from home.

The book and ticket option includes a signed - and if requested, dedicated - edition of Dead Souls. These will be hand-wrapped and posted out in the days following the event. There is also a £3 ticket option, which includes a £3 voucher that can be redeemed against any item on The Portobello Bookshop website – including Dead Souls or any other books by the author.

Please note: Tickets for our events are non-refundable. Professional photography and videography may take place during this event. Thank you for your understanding.

The venue

The Portobello Bookshop

46 Portobello High Street
Edinburgh
EH15 1DA

Telephone: 0131 629 6756

Website: www.theportobellobookshop.com


Wheelchair Access

We have a ramp at the front of the shop which has a ratio of 1:10 and loading capacity of 300kg, and so should be able to be used by most wheelchair users or those with mobility vehicles. The front doors are fully automated. Our shop interior is designed to allow access throughout for wheelchair users and prams, though please note there is only 700mm wide clearance to access the staff toilet.

Sound

We use a PA system to enhance the audio at our live events. We also have a hearing loop system installed, if you’d like to use our loop system during an event please let us know and we’ll make sure we have it set up and connected to the live audio feed during the event. If you wish to attend an event and require BSL interpretation, please give us a few weeks notice and we’ll do our best to arrange an interpreter.