Nicola Mostyn at Waterstones

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

Visit now

Nicola Mostyn book launch

9 February 2018

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Nicola Mostyn
Author Nicola Mostyn. Photo by Nathan Cox.
Book now

Appropriately almost coinciding with Valentine’s Day, Nicola Mostyn launches her debut novel, The Gods of Love – the protagonist of which is Frida: “divorce lawyer, cynic and secret descendant of the immortal love god Eros”. Oh, and saviour of the world. Described as “Bridget Jones by way of Neil Gaiman”, think romcom meets fantasy novel – but, equally, think nothing you’ve ever read before!

At this event, author Nicola will be reading extracts from The Gods of Love, out on 2 February on Piatkus, so you’ll be able to hear for yourself some of the unusual themes and Nicola’s unmistakable tongue-in-cheek style. She will also be chatting about the book and about getting to where she is now, working on her second novel, via bookselling, copywriting, blogging, journalism and working as a columnist for the Big Issue North. There will be a Q&A with writer David Lloyd of creative partnership Kindholm and the opportunity to get your hands on a signed copy of the book.

Says Emma Jane Unsworth, author of Animals (in a cinema near you soon!): “This book blew my mind. A super-smart comedy about love. Romantic, adventurous, magical, and very very funny. Mostyn has invented a whole new genre. All hail the new goddess of the romcom!”

Where to go near Nicola Mostyn at Waterstones

Manchester
Restaurant
KAI Deansgate

Kai is a Turkish restaurant on Deansgate, set up by the brains behind the well-regarded Zouk restaurant. Expect excellent mezze plates and an open grill that releases wonderful aromas throughout the venue.

City Centre
Restaurant
Côte Restaurant

Elegantly laid out with simple wooden tables and Burgundy-coloured banquettes, Côte in Manchester does brasserie food, and does it well.

CUPRA City Garage DJ Decks
City Centre
Café or Coffee Shop
CUPRA City Garage

Already based in Paris, Mexico City, Sydney and Vienna, CUPRA’s international expansion is driven by culture as much as cars, and Manchester’s creative energy has clearly caught their attention.

City Centre
Restaurant
Lunya Manchester

Lunya is a Spanish and Catalan deli and restaurant in Manchester’s stunning Barton Arcade. The food is reliably fresh and the staff both charming and incredibly knowledgable.

Royal Exchange Theatre
City Centre
Theatre
Royal Exchange Theatre

The Royal Exchange is one of the most celebrated theatres in the country, highly regarded for both new writing and its take on the classics.

Bloom Cafe
Manchester
Bloom Cafe

Bloom Cafe is a stunning cafe based on Deansgate in Manchester, serving up an array of hot and cold drinks, including a range of CBD options.

St Ann’s Square
City Centre
Park
St Ann’s Square

St Ann’s Square is a quiet little enclave of shops, with Barton’s Arcade set back from it on one side, and St Ann’s Church, which dates back to 1712 and…

City Centre
Music venue
South

Bite-size basement dive alternating techno-house and indie nights, this stalwart of the Manchester music scene can be found just off Deansgate, next door to St Ann’s Square.

What's on: Literature

Sarah Hall. Photo by Richard Thwaites.
Until
LiteratureLancashire
Litfest 2025 at various venues and online

One of the oldest literature festivals in the country, Lancaster Literature Festival, or Litfest to its friends, has been bringing an exciting and varied programme to audiences since 1978.

From £3.00
Deryn Rees-Jones. Credit Alison Dodd Photography
LiteratureLiverpool
Deryn Rees-Jones at Open Eye Gallery

For the seventh Matt Simpson Memorial Reading, hosted by Liverpool Poetry Space (LiPS), Deryn Rees-Jones will be reading from her new collection, Hôtel Amour.

Free entry

Culture Guides

Poet Helen Mort.
Literature Events in the North

One to add to your TBR pile, our latest round-up is a bumper edition and features some amazing events in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and beyond...

Hofesh Shechter - Theatre of Dreams at Lowry
Theatre in the North

Picks this month include bold visual art, wondrous opera and cinematic dance - plus a touch of ghostly storytelling for the Halloween season.

A white mattress is burning in a black rocky landscape.
Exhibitions in the North

Galleries in the North are far from spooky this October - instead you'll find tactile sculptures, plant magic and curatorial experiments.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

It's busy month across the cinemas of the north as Halloween programming leads into two of the region's biggest film festivals.

Music in the North

From New York’s experimental underground to the most exciting sounds coming from local scenes, we're lining up a noisy autumn of gigs.