events

This month in our gallery: a selection of street art by local artist James Straffon.

The little boy who lives down the lane presents THREE BAGS FULL - an abridgement of artworks, spanning a decade of painting on West Green walls.

Just the showcase, in which to embrace, possibly purchase, from here and there, a menagerie of notable local beasts, and artful fanfare; briefly released, from their habitat in the hood. To make All Good; the spotted woodpecker; dotty ladybird; got lit lemur. The famous urban fox; kerbside elephant; triumphant Lioness. Not to mention that schoolyard giraffe; rare bird Hornbill; majestic mouflon. Set to rub shoulders with Alexandra of Denmark; Alice of Wonderland; Little Simz of Izzy; Felix the Cat; Duke Ellington; Grace Jones; the late Queen Elizabeth II. Not to forget further puffed pigment, from notable names, that made a mark. STEWY. Mobstr. The Toasters. And some bloke called Banksy.

James Straffon (b. 1966) is a London-based artist whose work explores the intersection of the natural world and urban life. Beginning as a graphic designer, he shifted focus to street art and ecological projects, creating public, free-to-view imagery that engages audiences with issues of conservation, biodiversity, and climate change.

(Photo [left] by Veronica Bailey)

Two speakers, two subjects, twenty minutes each. The subject matter is a mystery - the audience finds out when the talk begins! One of our newest events and already a firm favourite. 

Knitting/crochet Group
All levels welcome.
Bring your works in progress or just bring yourself.
Materials:  Some yarn available for practice, but best if you can bring a set of knitting needles or a crochet hook in the size you’d like to use.
I have some to lend you while you are here, but can’t afford to furnish them for you to take away.
But I CAN furnish cookies, and coffee and tea are available at a small price.  So please join us! 

 "Have you ever thought what life would be like without those tiny arses to wipe? No - because you haven't fucking had to!" 

Going It Alone is a funny and tender monodrama about a woman in her early forties who, finding herself single and childless, decides to embark on a solo IVF journey. Told with honesty and humour, the show explores themes of friendship, independence, longing, acceptance and hope, and what it really means to choose your own path when life doesn't work out the way you planned.

This is a work-in-progress script-in-hand reading. After the performance, you will be asked to complete a feedback form about the show, to help with it's development. This is not compulsory but appreciated. 

“Bowled over by Nikki’s brilliant combination of authentic characterisation, earthy humour and pathos," David Winskill on Nikki's previous work, for the Ham & High.

Join author Gurnaik Johal for the launch in paperback of his debut novel.

AN OBSERVER BEST NEW NOVELIST 2025

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2025

A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE INDEPENDENT, TELEGRAPH, NERVE AND GUARDIAN

'An ambitious, stylishly delivered novel ... Reminiscent of Salman Rushdie' OBSERVER

'Johal has written a major novel, and at his very first attempt' TELEGRAPH, 5-STAR REVIEW

'Saraswati is a major achievement, and Johal a huge talent. One of the biggest novels of the year' Martin MacInnes, Booker-longlisted author of In Ascension

Centuries ago, the myths say, the holy river Saraswati flowed through what is now Northern India.

But when Satnam arrives in his ancestral village for his grandmother's funeral, he is astonished to find water in the long-dry well behind her house. The discovery sets in motion a contentious scheme to unearth the lost river and build a gleaming new city on its banks, and Satnam - adrift from his job, girlfriend and flat back in London - soon finds himself swept up in this ferment of Hindu nationalist pride. As the river alters Satnam's course, so it reveals buried ties to six distant relatives scattered across the globe - from an ambitious writer with her eye on legacy to a Kenyan archaeologist to a Bollywood stunt double - who are brought together in a rapidly changing India.

Brimming with love, lush, violence and loss, Gurnaik Johal's magisterial debut deftly animates the passions that bind us to our histories, our lands and each other.

This month in our gallery: a selection of mixed media art by local artist Ellis Lewis-Dragstra.

Ellis Lewis-Dragstra is a London based self taught mixed media artist whose art explores themes of race/identity, our connection to nature, language, childhood and the human experience, often through afro surrealist visual storytelling. Using a vibrant mix of traditional and digital mediums (acrylic paint, watercolours, oil pastels, photography, pencil and digital illustration) he bridges the gap between "high" and "low" art to create work that feels accessible while not compromising quality or the subject explored. He wants the viewer to read the images, feel the work, while encouraging them to stretch their own creativity, solve meaningful visual puzzles and see something new with every look. 

From birth Ellis has used art as a personal visual language and lifelong tool for better understanding both the world and the self. His art embraces humour, tragedy and the search for truth, always encouraging the viewer to stay as curious as a child and keep the adult scepticism of any absolutes. 

Join beloved storyteller Aaron Oliver and accompanist Pip for an hour of Easter themed stories, songs and fun (and maybe chocolate birds' nests :D).

North London writers’ group Bounds Green Book Writers is proud to announce the launch of All Points Imagination, an anthology of short stories. The presentation will be introduced by Krystina Stimokovits.  

A doctor called out to a sick baby, a stranger chatting on a park bench, a warrior preparing to die for her Queen, a young couple falling in love… This anthology presents a range of stories told in diverse styles and voices. Across time and space, these are stories to enthral, amuse and enlighten. We’re calling at all points imagination, so let your imagination fly.

Join author and storyteller Anna Maria Vilhelmina Hellberg Moberg for an evening of cat tales from around the world as collected in her new book!

Cuddly and cute, fierce and ferocious, cunning and conniving, worshipped and feared – felines appear in many forms in the humble folk tale. The cats in this collection of nearly 60 stories are often heroic, witty and, at times, scheming or downright terrifying. Kitties big and small, from every corner of the world, such as the Kasha from Japan, the Nunda from East Africa, El Hombre Gato from Argentina, Kisa, the Cat from Iceland and many others can be found purring, hissing and prowling through this book’s pages. 

Anna Maria Vilhelmina Hellberg Moberg is a UK-based writer, storyteller, journalist and cat lover, originally from rural western Sweden. She spent over a decade as a travel writer and is the author of thirty books, as well as numerous features for the British and international press. Her works include travel and culinary books focusing on Scandinavia and Latin America, a fairy tale for adults, two collections of short stories, the travel memoir Wayward Wanderings, three books about cats (fiction and creative non-fiction) and two collections of folk tales (Swedish Folk Tales and Feline Folk Tales, The History Press, 2024 & 2026).

As a storyteller, she tells folk and fairy tales, autobiographical and fictitious tales as Vilhelmina/A.M.V. Hellberg Moberg. In the United Kingdom, she’s worked with the Stealing Thunder Festival, Connection with Wonder, the Waterloo Festival, Elephant Tales, the Archive of Personal Stories, Miller’s Way Project and many others. In Sweden, she’s worked with Sagobygden/Land of Legends, local schools and organisations. She writes, gives talks and tells stories in English, Swedish, Norwegian and Spanish.