By Sophie

Summer, and its sunny vacation vibe, is wrapping up: school years are starting up again, work life as well, and here at ABC it means our events are gearing up. And boy howdy, do we have a September line-up for you! Every week there are multiple events we’ll either be hosting or else join in the wild with a table full of bookish goodies. Since it’s such a delectable and varied menu, we thought we’d give it the full blog treatment!

First off, just at the end of August, illustrator and graphic novelist Erik Kriek will visit ABC Amsterdam for the book presentation of his latest, The Pit. Erik Kriek studied illustration and graphic arts at the Rietveld Academy for Art and Design in Amsterdam. Ever since graduating in 1991 he has been working as a free-lance illustrator and has also achieved international acclaim as a comics author. We also wrote an author spotlight post on him last week.

  • When: Friday 29 August at 16.00 hrs
  • Where: ABC Amsterdam
  • Tickets: available here (free of charge, but please sign up so we know how to set up the room!)

Next, we’ll be in the wild to sell the books of the already legendary David Sedaris. His humorous short stories, often featuring his family and friends, are must-buys for many folks. In real life he’s a great storyteller, so be sure to join this evening if you can!

We stay in the wild the next night, when we will be at the John Adams, selling books for statistical wizard Nate Silver. He was the only person to accurately predict Trump’s win in 2016, and he’ll have lots to say about data analysis and risk taking.

  • When: Thursday 4 September
  • Where: Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ
  • Tickets: €27,50 (or €17 with your ABC Booklover Card), available through JAI

If you can’t make it Thursday night, no worries! Nate Silver will come to our store in Amsterdam for a flash book signing the next day. Your chance to meet him in person, have him sign a copy of On the Edge or The Signal and the Noise, and perhaps get some insightful answers to your questions.

  • When: Friday 5 September at 17.00 hrs
  • Where: ABC Amsterdam
  • Tickets: no tickets necessary, just drop on in!

Next up, Quill R. Kukla will present a talk about the topic “sex beyond yes”: they claim that traditional discussions of consent make no room for the reality that we can have good sex even though we may get drunk or high, or become forgetful with age, or be limited by social pressures and power relationships. There will be room for questions and discussion, and of course a chance to buy her thought-provoking book Sex Beyond “Yes”.

  • When: Wednesday 10 September at 16.00 hrs
  • Where: ABC Amsterdam
  • Tickets: available here (free of charge, but please reserve so we know how to set up the room)

Our online book club Book Chats is next on the calendar. This month we’ll be discussing the Pulitzer prize-winning novel James by Percival Everett, a retelling of Huck Finn from the viewpoint of Jim.

  • When: Friday 12 September at 18.00 hrs
  • Where: online
  • Tickets: free of charge, but sign up here for the zoom link

After that hearty book discussion, we’re back in the wild, at the Read My World international literature festival. The festival is from Thursday until Saturday, and we will be there with a table full of books on Saturday afternoon.

  • When: Saturday 13 September in the afternoon
  • Where: Tolhuistuin in Amsterdam
  • Tickets: free to visit in the afternoon (tickets available for the evening program here)

The very next day (and we’re not even halfway through September yet!), join us for the book presentation of Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout. The Dutch edition of this graphic novel has been shortlisted for the Thea Beckman award (for best historical Young Adult fiction). We’re thrilled Maria will be sharing her story with us!

  • When: Sunday 14 September at 15.00 hrs
  • Where: ABC Amsterdam
  • Tickets: available here (free of charge, but please sign up so we know how to set up the room)

After a whole week’s breather, we’re back at it with the book presentation of Unlikely Skylight, the first book of poems by local author Hollis Kurman. Hollis will give a chat about the inspiration for her book and the process of writing, and sign her book.

  • When: Sunday 21 September in the afternoon
  • Where: ABC Amsterdam
  • Tickets: available here (free of charge but please sign up so we know how to set up the room)

Then we’re back in the wild, manning a table full of books at the Fran Lebowitz talk. This evening promises to be full of unfiltered talk by the iconic New Yorker, and you’ll even have a chance to ask her questions.

And finally – finally! – another stand in the wild: we’ll be at the John Adams, selling books for investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, renowned for her work on civil rights and racial injustice. This evening’s talk will focus on the battle for the soul of America, and will incorporate the work of painter Jacob Lawrence, whose work will be shown at the Kunsthal KAdE all fall.

  • When: Saturday 27 September
  • Where: Dominicuskerk in Amsterdam
  • Tickets: €25 (or €17 with your ABC Booklover Card), available through JAI

And there you have it! What an eventful month. We’re working on getting October to be just as filled with literary goodness to visit. Be sure to check our Events page to see what we have going on in the future.