August 2013

What’s this? Well Cornwall Today have launched a new reading group with me acting as host! From Daphne du Maurier and Winston Graham to renowned modern authors including Patrick Gale, Cornwall has inspired reams of literature exploring the rich fabric of our history, culture and landscape.  If you love exploring the county through books, then join our free Cornwall Today book club.

Each month, book club host Liz Hurley, of Hurley Books in Mevagissey, will suggest a new book to read, along with reading notes, links and further reading. Club members who wish to can then join our online discussion about the book, or simply read what others have to say.

We hope the Cornwall Today book club will provide a way for people who may live in remote areas, or who live outside the county, to share a common love of Cornish literature.

“The aim of the club is simply to share a love of books about Cornwall and by Cornish or Cornwall-based authors,” explains Liz. “My own reading addiction started at a very early age, aided by a trusty torch and a large city library with a seemingly unending supply of books. I stumbled into a career in the library when I found it was the only job I could get in the Welsh town where I lived. I loved the job and trained to become a chartered librarian. Eventually, this brought me and my husband, Steve, to Cornwall.

“Steve had always dabbled in bookselling, via car boots, markets or shady corners. With the rise of the Internet, we discovered one of the shadiest corners – namely a new player on the block called Amazon. On the back of a successful time selling books online, Steve opened a little shop in St Austell. I left my job to help him, and we moved to an even smaller place in Charlestown.  Realising that bigger was better, we moved to Mevagissey and haven’t looked back.”

Hurley Books now sells new and second-hand titles, both in the shop and online, with a specialist Cornish section where you can buy The House on the Strand at a reduced price.

To join the Cornwall Today book club, simply email us at promotions@cornwalltoday.co.uk putting BOOK CLUB in the subject line. We will add you to our newsletter, giving details of each month’s book club choice. We will then put together summary of the discussion on each month’s title, along with any offers which might be available for book club members.  Check in here on at the book club section of our website for the latest updates.

September’s book club choice is a classic which many of you may have read already: The House On The Strand by Daphne du Maurier. Please e-mail us with any other suggestions or feedback for the book club. Until then, we look forward to cosying up and sharing some thrilling Cornish tales with you.