Book lovers invited to unique fundraising event in Glasgow
This gathering is set to offer a relaxed afternoon of book swapping, drinking, and fundraising for the Beatson Cancer Charity.
The event will put the spotlight on Elephant, a new book by Dr Gillian Shirreffs, which provides a humorous take on topics like grief, friendship, and survival.
Read more: 'We were blown away by the response': Book swap event helps displaced people
Following her bestselling debut Brodie, Dr Shirreff draws from her own experiences with illness in her new book Elephant, which has already received praise for its unique and honest style.
The event is particularly personal for Dr Shirreffs, who was treated for breast cancer at Beatson Cancer Charity.
It is organised by Heather Suttie, a broadcaster and the founder of Bookface.
Tickets for the event include two drinks, and there will be a luxury raffle to raise funds for Beatson.
They can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/yhph64kb.
Read more: Iconic Glasgow museum named among the world's best
Attendees are encouraged to bring along up to four high-quality books for swapping, with any leftover books to be donated to charity.
The event is part of the larger Bookface community, an online and in-person space for readers across Scotland.
With more than 5000 members, the community offers an opportunity for readers to discover new authors and connect with fellow book enthusiasts.
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Time Out
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- Time Out
Elephant Hackney
There's nothing that puts me on edge more than the threat of someone 'doing up a pub'. More often than not, it means stripping a historic community hub of everything that made it special, before whacking in some Metro tiles, a couple of Babak Ganjei prints and hoping for the best. Elephant on Lower Clapton Road – once the statuesque Elephant's Head, but more recently an Irish pub, then a forgettable bar, then boresome brasserie – has escaped the pitfalls by working backwards, peeling away various refits to reveal a striking Victorian boozer. Of course, it's not really a pub anymore; there is tableservice, menus, and a very good wine list. You could call it a gastropub at a push, but to call it anything other than a restaurant would be doing it a disservice, because what it is a great restaurant. With a restored, curved-glass ceiling at the back of the room (apparently once part of a local opera house or cinema, reports differ) and elephant-adjacent 1950s movie posters on the walls, the room feels like The Prince George in nearby London Fields, shabby and welcoming, with booths, nooks and one long table for family-style dining (while we're here, two groups of eight take it over in turn). With ex-Manteca chef Francesco Sarvonio in the kitchen, the food is of a southern Italian persuasion and not a single dish falters. Creamy seabass crudo comes in an addictive melon sauce, sweet and fruity but with an adults-only hit of anchovies from sharp colatura dressing. Slices of beef with just-stringy-enough charred chicory and magnificently murky tonnato sauce is its polar opposite, an intensely savoury concoction with fried sage leaves that it wears like a Wiccan tiara. A Sopranos Sunday luncheon-worthy dish of ziti genovese ragu, al dente pasta combined with braised beef and onions, sporting a toothsome breadcrumb topping and hunks of unspecified cheese is perfectly simple, at once light and heavy. Did we also need a salty, crisp-edged rib eye steak? Maybe not, but the juicy fat cap… A Neapolitan pizza too? Sure! Ours was fluffy and crisp of crust and topped with courgettes cooked down to the perfect texture and layered with thick folds of pink prosciutto. I weep a little when I hear the fried lavender donut with Amalfi lemon custard has sold out, but it's just an excuse to return to Elephant as soon as humanly possible – as if I needed another one. The vibe A welcoming Hackney pub turned family-friendly Italian restaurant. The food Southern Italian classics with a sly side of experimentation from an ex-Manteca chef. The drinks Short and potent cocktails and great Italian wine courtesy of Old Street pros Passione Vino. Time Out tip Proof of their generous hospitality, kids eat free at Elephant. Neighbourhood Cocktail Bar & Neapolitan Pizzeria serving Italian Street Food An elephant never forgets. Over 100 years ago The Elephant's Head was born on Lower Clapton Road in Hackney. We bring this beautiful venue back to its roots with classic cocktails and ice cold beers. With our homestyle cooking, authentic Italian pizza and a soundtrack of lost soul records on rotation, we create a vibrant atmosphere for all our guests & new friends to enjoy. Kitchen by Francesco Sarvonio (Early June, Naughty Piglets, Oranj)
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Scotsman
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