Award Winning Author Talk at Harrison Library

Thursday 25 October, 11.20 am

Award winning author, Gail Honeyman, is visiting the University as part of the Big Read campaign.Gail Honeyman author

Gail, who won Costa Book of the Year 2017 with her debut novel, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, will be talking to staff, students and visitors about the process of writing the novel and discussing some of the key themes addressed in her book.

She will be visiting the University’s City Campus on Thursday 25th October between 11.20 am and 1.30 pm with the talk taking place in the Harrison Library, Ambika Paul Building.  Tickets are FREE but booking is essential.

Since publication, translation rights for the book have sold to over thirty territories worldwide and it was chosen as one of the Observer’s Debuts of the Year 2017.  Gail was also awarded the Scottish Book Trust’s Next Chapter Award in 2014 and has been longlisted for BBC Radio 4’s Opening Line and shortlisted for the Bridport Prize.  Actress, Reece Witherspoon, has optioned the novel for film.

Students studying for Faculty of Science and Engineering courses were sent a copy of Gail’s book as part of the Big Read campaign – an initiative created by Kingston University as a way of making students feel welcome.

Since 2015, Kingston University has sent a book to every undergraduate and postgraduate student to ensure that new arrivals feel welcome before they arrive.

The Big Read campaign was inspired by similar projects in the United States that showed the benefits of creating a community through shared reading before students arrived at an institution, helping them to settle in to their new environment.

‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’, focuses on the life of woman who leads a simple life, exploring themes of change and loneliness.

Nazira Karodia, Dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “The WLV Big Read is part of a wider, national initiative which was introduced by Kingston University to help students feel part of the University community as quickly as possible.

“The idea is that when new students join the University family, the book will help them to settle in quickly and give them something in common with the people they meet when they arrive.”

 

Book tickets through the Eventbrite page.