Every month we meet to talk about one of Richard Brautigan's novels. We have poets and cowboys to introduce each one, to get you back into the book. It won't be like a traditional book club. You will have to read the book beforehand, but we won't sit in a circle and talk about reflexive-narrative. We hope you will meet other Brautiganites. There will also be side shows, slide shows and workshops. It will be special. If you love Brautigan you are special too.

Meetings are free & open to all, but booking is necessary. 

We mostly meet at East London arts space Bethnal Green Working Mens Club on the last Tuesday of every month unless specified otherwise. Please check details per event.

MAY 29 Tuesday  - The Abortion: An Historical Romance 1966

Guest: SALENA GODDEN!

Salena Godden's latest collection 'Under The Pier' was published by hip-indie imprint Nasty Little Press in 2011. Most recently her work has appeared in Shortfire Press, Illustrated Ape Magazine, Trespass Magazine, Paraphilia, Rising, Teller Magazine, The Mechanics Institute Review published by Birkbeck University, Picador's Punk Fiction and Parthian Books, Raconteur. Her poetry featured in the three latest anthologies from Tangerine Press titled Dwang. Salena Godden hosts and produces The Book Club Boutique -  Soho's hippest literary salon – soliciting their own unique brand of Books, Booze and Boogie-Woogie. Salena features regularly on BBC's 'Illustrated Verse'  'The Verb' and 'Bespoken Word' and is among the poets in residence on Radio 4's 'Saturday Live' - Salena is curently working on a poetic-documentary for BBC Radio 4.

In August 2011 her narrative play 'A Valentine At Waterloo' was aired and podcast as part of the BBC’s 'Verse Illustrated' series. Salena was commissioned for the Sixty-Six Books project, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the publication of The King James Bible. Her response The Chronicle was performed by actor Joshua McGuire (star of BBC drama ‘The Hour’ & Hamlet) at The Bush Theatre and  Westminster Abbey. This work was published in Sixty-Six Books by Oberon. Finally, Salena is in her third year facilitating workshops for First Story - a charity created by author William Fiennes - that aims to foster and nurture literacy and creative writing in secondary schools.

“Salena Godden - The Mae West madam of the salon” - Sunday Times

Website: www.thebookclubboutique.com

Waiting For Godden:  http://www.salenagodden.com/
Out Now 'UNDER THE PIER' published by Nasty Little Press: www.nastylittlepress.org

Out Now: SIXTY-SIX Books: http://oberonbooks.com/66-books.html

Out Now: RACONTEUR: http://www.parthianbooks.com/content/raconteur-america

For quick updates twitter: @BookCBoutique or @salenagodden or @wearesaltpeter

Also check out these sites for more published work by Salena Godden: 

www.shortfirepress.com / www.paraphiliamagazine.com / www.tellermagazine.com  /www.eatmytangerine.com

Tickets: Entrance is free (with an option to donate towards costs of all the hand-made loveliness and snacks) but booking ensures your place at busier events. I suspect this'll be one of them!

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JUNE DATE CONFIRMED Tuesday, June 26th as normal - The Hawkline Monster: A Gothic Romance

Ianthe Brautigan is due to visit the UK as a guest of the Brautigan Book Club and is hoping to come along to our meeting if she's not too jetlagged.

Guest: Peter Law presents in powerpoint a story about Richard Brautigan and the good troubles he has got him into, beginning with The Hawkline Monster. A bunch of other cowboys fight it out in a Brautiganish showdown...

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DINEFWR Literature Festival

June 30 - July 1, Carmarthenshire, West Wales

saltpeter has been invited to bring The Brautigan Book Club to the inaugural Dinefwr Literature Festival in West Wales. June 29 - July 1. We've come up with a tremendous three-part Brautigan extravanganza to include planting a Brautigan garden, travelling into the night along the Tokyo-Montana Express, and then, last but certainly not least, talking to Ianthe Brautigan about her writing. We're reunited with Gruff Rhys, Martin Carr and H.Hawkline who played for us at the launch (so brilliantly curated by Nemonie Crave and Polly Frame) and sharing a stage with Josie Long and Julian Cope!

Camping is available on the wonderful grounds of a National Trust home, Dinefwr Castle.

Read more about our programme here.

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July - Willard and His Bowling Trophies: A Perverse Mystery

Guest: Mark Aitken and friends  www.thedeepriver.org

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August - Sombrero Fallout: A Japanese Novel

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Sept - Dreaming of Babylon: A Detective Novel 1942

Guest: Victoria Manifold  http://lieutenantcolumbo.blogspot.com/

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Oct - The Tokyo-Montana Express

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Nov - So The Wind Won’t Blow It All Away

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Dec - An Unfortunate Woman: A Journey

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Archive:

JANUARY 25 2012 LAUNCH 

Thank you to everyone who came along, supported, and contributed to the BBC launch, THE AMERICAN FOREVER, ETC. - A LIBRARY. This was an interactive performance piece inspired by Richard Brautigan’s novel, The Abortion - An Historical Romance 1966

It starred Thom Tuck & Zoe Gardner. Featuring Gruff Rhys, Martin Carr, H.Hawkline, Joe Duggan, Louise Stern, Aaron Williamson, & Polly Frame. Curated by Nemonie Craven and Polly Frame.

FEBRUARY 28 Tuesday 2012

A Confederate General from Big Sur

Guest: Rishi Dastidar 

Rishi is a copywriter, poet and general gadabout. He’ll present “A Confederate General goes to New York and writes a poem or two?”

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MARCH 27 Tuesday - Trout Fishing in America