Camilla Grudova book launch at Blackwell’s

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

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CHILDREN OF PARADISE - Camilla Grudova in conversation with Naomi Frisby

12 July 2022

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Author Camilla Grudova
Author Camilla Grudova
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Head to Blackwell’s book store for the Manchester launch of Camilla Grudova’s debut novel, Children Of Paradise, and hear from an acclaimed new author who has been compared to Angela Carter and Margaret Atwood. Following a reading, Camilla – whose fiction has appeared in The White Review and Granta – will be in conversation with host Naomi Frisby of Manchester Literature Festival, and signing copies of the new book.

Children Of Paradise follows Camilla’s critically acclaimed “ambitious and exquisitely conceived” short story collection, The Doll’s Alphabet, which was published by indie Fitzcarraldo Editions.

Described as surreal and uneasy, Children Of Paradise charts the fates of a ragtag group of cinema workers who are spat out by corporate takeover. Since Camilla Grudova works as an usherette in Edinburgh, where she lives, we can only imagine there’s at least some truth in the story, published by Atlantic Books. Here’s the blurb: “When Holly applies for a job at the Paradise – one of the city’s oldest cinemas, squashed into the ground floor of a block of flats – she thinks it will be like any other shift work. She cleans toilets, sweeps popcorn, avoids the belligerent old owner, Iris, and is ignored by her aloof but tight-knit colleagues who seem as much a part of the building as its fraying carpets and endless dirt. Dreadful, lonely weeks pass while she longs for their approval, a silent voyeur. So when she finally gains the trust of this cryptic band of oddballs, Holly transforms from silent drudge to rebellious insider and gradually she too becomes part of the Paradise – unearthing its secrets, learning its history and haunting its corridors after hours with the other ushers. It is no surprise when violence strikes, tempers change and the group, eyes still affixed to the screen, starts to rapidly go awry…”

Children Of Paradise follows Camilla’s critically acclaimed “ambitious and exquisitely conceived” short story collection, The Doll’s Alphabet, which was published by indie Fitzcarraldo Editions in 2017, who said: “By constantly reinventing ways to engage with her obsessions and motifs, Camilla Grudova has come up with a method for storytelling that is highly imaginative, incredibly original, and absolutely discomfiting.”

Nicola Barker, author of Darkmans, said: “Camilla Grudova is Angela Carter’s natural inheritor. Her style is effortlessly spare and wonderfully seductive. Read her! Love her! She is sincerely strange – a glittering literary gem in a landscape awash with paste and glue and artificial settings.”

Deborah Levy, author of Hot Milk, meanwhile, said: “Marvellous. Grudova understands that the best writing has to pull off the hardest aesthetic trick – it has to be both memorable and fleeting.”
Children of Paradise by Camilla Grudova
Children of Paradise by Camilla Grudova

Where to go near Camilla Grudova book launch at Blackwell’s

Peak District
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The Chequers Inn

The Chequers Inn is a 16th century, family-run, traditional country inn with an impressive dining space. The Peak District at its best.

Testbed Main Space
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TESTBED

TESTBED is a newly renovated 10,000 sq foot event venue in Leeds that offers endless possibilities for creating unique and inspiring experiences.

Manchester
Restaurant
Salt & Pepper

Chinese inspired British food in the centre of Manchester, backed up by plenty of well-deserved local hype.

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
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Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

The Warehouse In Holbeck
Leeds
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The Warehouse In Holbeck

Run by acclaimed theatre company Slung Low, The Warehouse in Holbeck is home to boundary-pushing performance and community projects.

Leeds
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The Attic

Tucked away above the bustle of Merrion Street, The Attic is one of Leeds’ most distinctive small venues – intimate, unpretentious, and steeped in DIY spirit.

The Chevin is a great place for visitors to do lots of different activities and is open all year round with 5 free car parks. To help you find out whatís best for you we have divided this section up into some of these different activities.Please be aware that The Chevin is a working estate so you may see vehicles including timber-extraction lorries using some of the tracks.Self-guided WalksThe Chevin is a big place and there is a good network of paths to make your own circular walk, but if you want to follow a themed trail there is a Geology Trail, Heritage Time Trail and a route for Tree Spotters.Bikes & HorsesThere is an extensive bridleway network on the eastern parts of The Chevin that caters for a range of abilities.Orienteering and GeocachingTwo orienteering courses and a number of geocache sites are waiting to be discovered.Climbing & BoulderingThere are many fantastic crags for climbing and boulders for bouldering.Mobility Scooters & Wheelchairs
Leeds
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Oporto

For many years, Oporto has been a beacon of alternative energy on Leeds’ Call Lane – serving up great food and drink alongside resident DJs and live music.

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