The Riff Raff events: The lowdown
Ah London…such a glorious city. Famous for a family who do little but wear fur and raise corgis, buildings shaped like vibrator factory rejects, men in completely impractical bear skin hats, and of course a population of the fastest and most aggressive commuters the world has ever known.
Oh yeah…and events. London loves an event. If you have the time, inclination and bank balance, you could be attending a 6am rave, a breakfast seminar, an inspirational talk at lunchtime, and then a party (or seven) in the evening. It is a physical impossibility to keep your finger on London’s pulse. It’s just beating too damn hard.
So, why oh why out of all the events that London’s bars, pubs, cafes and conference centres host on the reg would you decide to come along to The Riff Raff?
Well…
If you like to read or write, chances are that at some stage you’ve splashed out to go and watch your fave writers speak…usually for a the cost of a decent dinner, and then you can barely even see them from waaaaaay back in row X. Seeing these writers speak is inspirational, and wonderful but it can also be completely disheartening. They are so many steps ahead of you in career terms that you may as well have bought a ticket to watch them tap dance across the stratosphere. Instead there you are in the cheap seats, squinting at a dot on the stage that only kinda resembles the jacket sleeve image you’ve spent many a moment lovingly stroking, while whispering “tell me your secrets”. These writers are selling out huge venues. We’re going to buy their books anyway – they don’t need us to come see them speak. They have it made. They are basically immortal.
The Riff Raff is different. It showcases talent that isn’t a household name – yet! Debut authors who are still hesitantly shuffling their way deeper into the white glare of the publishing industry, wondering what they hell they’re doing and whether they are in fact in another dimension.
Each month we’ll invite five different authors from as broad a range of genres as we can muster to come and speak. The author will get the chance to introduce themselves and their book, read their favourite passages aloud, and then field questions from an audience of people eager to pick their brains about what it’s like to publish a book.
You’ll get the chance to look into the eyes of these new voices and talk tactics. Our authors understand what you’re going through as an aspiring writer, because they were in the trenches only recently. They want to share tips. They’re happy to dish out pep talks and handy pointers. They’re rooting for you, just as you’re rooting for them. We hope that having the chance to chat with writers who’ve only just been published will make you see that achieving your dreams isn’t as unattainable as it might feel.
Sound good? Then please come along to our first event on May 11th in Brixton. Each writer will be flogging signed books so if you’re interested in taking home some booty – please come armed with cash. We can’t wait to meet you and to start championing so much amazing new talent.
