The Bedford Society is delighted to present alumnus Martin Latham.
Martin Latham studied History at Bedford and graduated in 1978. He went on to King's College, London, where he was awarded a PhD in Punjab history. After a spell in academia, he worked in bookshops for forty years, both independent and, since 1990, running Waterstones, Canterbury. At that shop, he interviewed over 3000 authors, including ex-Prime Ministers and many historians. His excavation of a Roman bathhouse floor under the shop remains the biggest petty cash claim in the company's history. The floor, pilae stacks in place, is now a scheduled ancient monument.
Martin will give a talk on his book, The Bookseller's Tale. This is part-memoir and part love letter to books and our strange tactile relationship with them. Surreptitious reading, by working folk and women, is celebrated, as is the under-recognised role of chapbooks in historical change. Booksellers, from wandering pedlars to Parisian bouquinistes, are freedom fighters. The heart of the book is the idea that we all have a childhood comfort story which resonates with our adult avocation.
Event Details
Wednesday 29 April, 4 pm BST.
Tickets are £10 per person.
The event will take place in The Bedford Room of 11 Bedford Square.
The event will begin at 4 pm with tea and coffee, followed by the talk, and conclude with drinks.
The information you provide in the booking form below will be shared with the Bedford Society Committee, who are managing the event. Royal Holloway is collecting bookings and payments on their behalf.
