Events

We run a busy events schedule. See below all of our exciting, upcoming events!

The Boy at the Back of the Class Signing Tour

After delighting audiences across the country, the smash-hit, joyful play based on the best-selling novel is back with a celebration of friendship kindness and compassion.

Onjali Raúf is the bestselling author of 'The Boy at the Back of the Class', which is touring in the UK from March to May.
Join us at 11am on Saturday 14th, on the day the tour starts, for a lovely morning talking with the author! She will be reading from the book as well as signing copies.


Tickets are free but you are welcome to just come in!

Free tickets here!

Poetry Open Mic Night 20th February

Hosted by Amelia Simpson on the 3rd Friday of every month. Join us whether you're a seasoned poet or this is your first time sharing your work <3 Arrive by 6:45pm as we will start at 7pm sharp! Amelia will take your name on the door if you would like to perform. Any performances are welcome but times must not exceed 10 minutes, this is to give everyone ample opportunity and time. We are open to all poetry, prose, spoken work, and short stories.

Grab a ticket here

Book event with author Hazel Sheffield

'Frontierlands' are Britain's forgotten places. Silt-filled harbours, overgrown forests, sunken railway tracks and empty buildings. All once economic engines, now abandoned by investors and the state. But they are home to local communities, and amongst them, some remarkable pioneers working together to repair, rebuild and prepare for the future.

Hazel Sheffield takes her readers on a journey that begins at the coastline and travels inward via hoardings and railway arches, factories, streets and neighbourhoods to our homes. Moving from Watchet harbour in the South West to Gateshead in the North East, from Lancashire to London and the South East, she introduces us to the people who are acting to shape their own destinies - people with first-hand knowledge of the problems Britain faces and with clear ideas how to make things better.

This is a book about regeneration, reclaiming power, and the hope that comes from community action. About people questioning how the world works and determined to do things differently in the face of economic upheaval and climate crisis. People learning to build a new world, challenging us all to think about how we should live in the face of certain change.

Tickets here!

Creative Writing Taster Session with Carole Burns

The Story Machine

Offered by the University of Southampton MA Creative Writing programmes on Monday 16th at 7pm.

 This hour-long workshop with prize-winning author and University associate professor Carole Burns will help you begin a new story - by writing the end. Learn about character and the importance of gesture  in this free writing workshop, part of a new series being offered by Creative Writing staff at the University of Southampton. The session will also give you a taste of what it’s like to study Creative Writing at the MA or PhD level. Do come along!

Free tickets here!

Shelina Permalloo Book Signing & Cooking Demo

Join Shelina Permalloo for a book signing of her new cookbook What to Cook When Everyone’s Hungry, plus a live cooking demo packed with fast, flavourful, family-friendly dishes designed for real life.

About Shelina Permalloo

Shelina Permalloo is an award-winning chef, MasterChef 2012 winner, and bestselling cookbook author. She appears on Cooking with the Stars and The Kitchen Cabinet, and is known for bold Mauritian-inspired cooking, inclusive food advocacy, and warm, practical storytelling across TV, radio, books, and brands.

Details

Dates/Times 🕰️ 26th March 2026, Thursday 7 pm

Tickets 🎟️ £5.00

Tickets here!

Writers' Group

We are a varied group that meet and give friendly and genuinely constructive criticism of one another's work, every last Thursday of the month from 7:00pm at October Books. If you're new you can join the mailing list for updates!

Writers of all styles, experience and ability are welcome. You can submit your work in advance of meetings, so that everyone can read it ahead of time. Booking is not required, but there is a £5 charge on the door, to help us keep running amazing events like these.

Next meetings

  • 29 Jan 2026 7 pm
  • 26 Feb 2026 7pm
Submit via Email

Power Station Film Screening and discussion

October Books, Transition Southampton and SO Solar Adviceare excited to be screening the inspiring and uplifting film,Power Station,a film about two artists in Walthamstow setting out to take their street off the grid, kickstarting a solar-powered energy revolution.

Inspired by lockdown mutual aid initiatives, artist-activists Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn decided to turn their street into an energy-generating powerhouse – a prototype for a new way of living, with the hope of galvanising a wider push towards sustainable alternatives.

Directed by the duo, POWER STATION charts their turbulent journey, from pitching the idea to their neighbours and sleeping on the roof of their home, to raising finance and launching a bid for a Christmas number one single.

By turns funny and heartwarming, Powell and Edelstyn’s film is a vibrant portrait of their local neighbourhood, and a charming testament to the power of art in changing minds about what could be possible.

See more on SO Solar Advice here

Follow Transition Southampton here

Dates/Times🕰️ 31st March 2026, Tuesday 7:00pm
Donation 🎟️ £5.00

Get tickets here
  • Mondays - Veg Out Cafe

    A pop-up vegan community cafe, using food waste. Pay what you feel.

    More info here 
  • Tuesday - Radical Reading Group

    Second Tuesday of the month, 7.30pm - 9pm. Discussing radical and revolutionary ideas through the medium of chapters and short texts.

    More info here 
  • Wednesday - Quaker Meeting

    Third Wednesday of the month, 6.15pm - 7pm. Everyone welcome

    Email for Details 
  • Thursday - Yoga with Emma Major

    Every Thursday, 10am - 11am Vinyasa Flow Yoga

    More info here 
  • Friday - Co-working Space

    Catch up with your work in the cosy and well equipped bookshop environment. £5 for the whole day.

    Check our online calendar before visiting, as occasionally we may have a private hire.

  • Saturday - Collage Club

    Every 4th Saturday of the month 3:30 - 5:30pm. Materials provided. £5. Cut, stick and make whatever you want.