Reading

Let's get our Shakespeare on. Each month, we read scenes from a play together and talk about them. Whether you're studying Shakespeare, a Shakespeare obsessive or just fancy the chat around it, you're welcome. Led by trained actor and director Chris Brosnahan. For the first month, we're going to do a play Chris just directed - The Merchant of Venice. There's plenty to talk about with this one, especially in 2026. So come along. Also, there'll be a full bard.... sorry, full bar available. It's a free event, although donations or buying drinks and books helps keep us alive!

This is our Beehive Poetry Club meet-up. This is a space to both read poetry that we have felt inspired by and also a chance to have a go at writing something or having a go at a technique. Roughly each week will look like the following: 13.30 - Arrive for coffee + intoduction 13.40 - Poetry reading (anything you may have written or enjoyed reading) 14.20 - coffee break 14.30 Free write or writing activity 15.30 - finish

Arabic Through Literature and Current Affairs One Thousand and One Nights & Contemporary Arabic Discussion Lesson Duration 2 hours per session • Hour 1: Literary Arabic (Reading & Translation) • Hour 2: Modern Arabic (Conversation & Debate on Current Affairs) ⸻ HOUR 1 — Arabic Literature (60 minutes) Objectives • Develop reading fluency in classical/standard Arabic • Understand literary structures and stylistic devices • Produce accurate and elegant translations Structure 1️⃣ Context & Vocabulary (10 min) • Brief cultural or historical background • Key vocabulary (classical, rare, idiomatic) 2️⃣ Guided Reading (20 min) • Reading aloud by teacher and students • Grammatical and stylistic explanations • Focus on: • Verb patterns • Sentence rhythm • Narrative connectors 3️⃣ Analysis (15 min) • Themes and moral lessons • Character roles • Narrative techniques • Links to broader Arabic literary traditions 4️⃣ Translation Workshop (15 min) • Collective translation • Discuss: • Literal vs literary translation • Register and tone • Alternative renderings HOUR 2 — Current Affairs Conversation (60 minutes) Objectives • Build spoken fluency in Modern Standard Arabic • Learn contemporary political, social, and media vocabulary • Express opinions clearly and confidently Structure 1️⃣ Warm-up & Vocabulary (10 min) • Key terms from: • News headlines • Social media discourse • Political or cultural debates 2️⃣ Listening / Reading Input (10 min) • Short news clip or article (Al Jazeera, BBC Arabic, etc.) • Identify main ideas and key arguments 3️⃣ Guided Discussion (30 min) Possible formats: • Open discussion • Structured debate • Role-play (journalist / analyst / public opinion) • Comparison with students’ countries Discussion skills: • Expressing agreement/disagreement • Clarifying opinions • Polite debate language 4️⃣ Reflection & Correction (10 min) • Correct common mistakes • Reformulate students’ answers in refined Arabic • Highlight strong expressions Homework (Light & Effective) Meeting at Pret A Manger 252 Tottenham Ct Rd, London W1T 7RB

Hi guys! Super excited to announce we'll be hosting our first West London Book Club meetup next week! 🎉📚 📅 Sunday 24th 📍 Hyde Park 🕑 2pm – 4pm 🆓 Free to attend It's a book swap — bring a favourite book you're happy to share and swap with someone else. We'll also be playing a round of Articulate, so come ready to have a laugh! Bring your own food and drinks and just come as you are. The more the merrier! **Running order:** 📖 Intros + book shares 🔄 Book swap 🎲 Articulate 😊 Chill, chat, connect

**Trusting your intuition** Welcome back! This session builds on our previous meetup, and everyone is welcome even if you didn’t attend before. Today, you’ll choose a card from the Major Arcana that you feel least connected to. Don’t overthink it—trust your instinct. Remember, everything is fluid, and your connection to the cards can change over time. We’ll then explore these cards together through a group discussion, helping you uncover possible blocks in your life and your readings. Tarot as a Mirror Tarot reflects both: * Inner world — thoughts, emotions, subconscious patterns * Outer world — experiences, relationships, life situations When you ask a question, the cards may not answer it directly. Instead, they reveal what is beneath the question — often shaped by your unconscious mind. Understanding Resistance If you don’t like a card, it may reflect: * A part of yourself you struggle with * Something you avoid * A lesson you are currently moving through Remember: The cards we resist are often the ones we need the most. Your Card Choose one card from the Major Arcana that: * Doesn’t resonate with you * Feels uncomfortable * You don’t fully understand Trust your instinct. Notice where resistance arises. Personal Reflection Take a moment to reflect or journal: * What about this card makes me uncomfortable? * What emotions arise when I look at it? * Where might this energy show up in my life? **Small Group Reading Exercise** We will, as a small group, take part in this activity together. Each person will choose two additional cards, creating a three-card spread. Place your Major Arcana card in the centre, with the other two cards on either side. This introduces the flow of a three-card reading and how the cards connect and influence one another. As a group, we will work together to interpret each person’s cards, sharing insights and building confidence in reading intuitively and collaboratively. Come with an open mind and a willingness to explore. Bring with you: Pen & paper Tarot deck ( if needed I do have spare decks) Open heart & mind to new possibilities Disclaimer You need to be aged 18 and over! In life nothing is set in stone tarot gives you possibilities! We all have free will! Ground rules This event takes place in my home, so please be respectful of the space and atmosphere. • Treat everyone with kindness and respect at all times. • We all bring different experiences and opinions — open-mindedness and mutual understanding are essential. • Confidentiality is encouraged so everyone feels safe to share and learn. Join a small, focused group and discover how tarot can support clarity, self-awareness, and positive transformation.

Join us at the top of the biggest bookshop in Europe to work in company on your own writing, be it a book, blog, screenplay, dissertation, poem, song, coursework, memoir, play, journal, travel writing, work stuff or anything else. Newcomers always welcome. No one will see what you're writing or give you unsolicited advice. Now that our regular Saturday events are filling all the seats we're adding some Sundays when we're able to - check Meetup for dates. Same format but an hour later. WHERE? FIFTH FLOOR CAFÉ, Floor 5, Waterstones, 203-206 Piccadilly, W1J 9LE TIMINGS:- 12.00 - Shop and café open 12:30 - Host will be there. Say hello, especially if you’re new. 12.40 - Brief introductions from everybody - your name and what you’re working on 12:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 13:30 – Break, chat to your neighbours if you like 13:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 14:30 - The End…feel free to stay and keep writing or chat some more. Bring whatever you need to be able to write. It’s a café, there’s some noise so earbuds/headphones/earplugs are handy. There’s very few mains sockets so charged-up laptops are a good idea too. And please remember everybody, thank our venue by buying a drink or food, and don’t consume anything from outside while you're here. We’re looking forward to writing with you, your hosts, Sarah, Nick, Laura, Anna, Solitaire and John

🌌Ever look up and marvel with insatiable curiosity at the beauty and wonder of the **universe?** That wild sobering thought that somewhere in the chaos of creation - through the emergence of us - the universe became **conscious** enough to look back in time and not just ask the existential questions, but try to answer them. 🚀 Join fellow big picture and deep thinkers to take a look at **Venus,** **Jupiter** along with planet's potential life‑harbouring **moons**, iconic beautiful **star fields**, the remnants of supernovae witnessed by our earliest ancestors, **multi‑star systems** reminiscent of the twin suns of *Star Wars* and even **Tau Ceti**, a star hosting two Earth‑like worlds in its habitable zone. All of this under the spring evening - with drinks, engaging conversation, and good‑natured banter — this May. In between observing - we'll have **drinks and engaging chats** on all astronomy related topics for those inclined: Space exploration \| Fermi Paradox \| Astrobiology \| Cosmology \| paleontology\, \| SETI & Drake Equation for alien civilisations estimates \| exoplanetology etc as well as non space chats and banter too\. No doubt we'll hear the usual jokes we've all heard before\! If those don't make you laugh\, my impersonation of Los Angeles ET will\! 👽 And to help set the mood and make the night feel even extra stary, I’ll put my DJ hat to play some space‑theme tunes and songs about the stars! You don't need a telescope as you will be able to view through scopes belonging to me and other club members (as long as you behave responsibly and don't temper with expensive equipment). If you have your own telescope/binoculars feel free to bring along and I can help you setting it up if you're a newbie **==== ITINERARY =====** We will meet outside H&I Station in Highbury Islington. After a short wait for anyone delayed, I will escort everyone to our observation point in the local park 5 minutes walk away and brief you in terms of what to expect, observing etiquette, tips, equipment handling and take any questions you have - weather general or astronomy/cosmology related. **After Drinks:** Unless I have a very important 9AM Tue deadline for a unfinished client presentation or something - most of us usually head to a cosy bar for a drink. If so - I will annouce the pub when we leave the park **==== What Can You Expect To See (this time of year)? ====** * Orion Nebula * Jupiter and 4 moons * Meteors * Andromedia Galaxy * Star clusters such as the Pleiades & Owl Cluster etc * International Space station fly by * Binary & tripple star systems (think planet *Tatooine in* Starwars!), * Neptune * Uranuus * Our moon * A look towards the galactic centre of the Mlikyway where that supermassive £22b Labour black hole sits (Sagittarius A) More here from Jodrell Bank Observatory/Astrophysics Centre: [http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/astronomy/nightsky/](http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/astronomy/nightsky/) Guide to viewing the cosmos for beginners: [https://phys.org/news/2018-05-universe-distant-starstips-cosmology-backyard.html#jCp](https://phys.org/news/2018-05-universe-distant-starstips-cosmology-backyard.html#jCp) **===Weather Dependent=====** The event is subject to clear skies forecasts on the night so if on the actual afternoon of the event the weather forecasts looks unsuitable beyond doubt then I will postpone so please check the event status on the day of the event . If this event is still listed here at 5PM on the day, it will be going ahead at the designated day and time! Lucas Skywalker - The Singin, Dancin, DJ-in Astronomer

Running through the heart of London; the River Thames has played a central role in the history of the city, and when the tide is low, the capital’s longest archaeological site is revealed. Come along on Sunday 24th May to explore its history! **About the foreshore** I will be your guide as we will be going down to the Thames foreshore at low tide, where we will have about 1h 30mins to have a look around for objects before the tide comes in. I will tell you more about foreshore, the industry in the area and will be on hand to identify and date objects you find. Most objects you can spot sitting on the foreshore after being washed in on the tide (its eyes only, we are not allowed to dig or scrape the foreshore surface). You will find everything from bits of pottery, clay pipes, bottles, animal bones to ship items. Most of the things we find are from the Medieval to the Victorian period or you might be lucky and find something Roman or older. **The Thames Foreshore is private land, so before we go down, I have to give everyone a short talk on health & safety on the foreshore.** We will be finished by about 2:45pm. **Footwear** The foreshore is very stoney and sometimes muddy, so please wear sensible shoes (preferably walking boots/shoes or wellington boots). Plastic gloves and bags will be provided. **Cost** This is for Full Members of the group only and will be free for Full Members. **Become a Full Member** To become a Full Member (£14 a year), either: \- Pay cash at an event \- Pay via Bank Transfer \(TSB Bank plc\, Sort code: 77\-66\-65\, Account no: 00030809\, Account name: Cultureseekers) \- Pay via credit card on the day or in advance \([https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QLAX8AUI](https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QLAX8AUI)) \- Pay via PayPal\, send a payment to \[[general@cultureseekers.org](mailto:general@cultureseekers.org)]([mailto:general@cultureseekers.org](http://mailto:general@cultureseekers.org)), using the ‘Friends & Family’ option Benefits of becoming a Full Member [here...](https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/photos/22974682/531979527/) **Afterwards** After we will head to 'Cafe Nero', Oxo Tower Wharf for a chat over a drink. Please note, we only wait at the meeting point for 10 minutes after the advertised meeting time, so please be on time or early. If you can't see us at the station, please text. Look out for the red & blue 'London Cultureseekers' group sign. Hope to see you there! Robert 07905 901 834 (prefer text) ***On the day, if you can’t make the trip, just change your RSVP to No or text me to say you can’t make it. Please don’t post any messages in the comments that you can’t make it, as this generates spam for everyone else.*** *Please make sure you are aware of the group rules here before RSVPing - [https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/messages/boards/thread/53768478](https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/messages/boards/thread/53768478)*

**What is the Listening Hour?** **1-hour connection and empathy space currently hosted by people who have experience in Nonviolent Communication (NVC) for people who want to increase social connection, improve listening skills and be welcomed in a strong and caring community.** **We recommend participants learn about Nonviolent Communication [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wNjqVR6-C4s30P7T-GPOxm_8JemKl1B78GN__7z8I7Q/edit?usp=sharing).** ### **1\. Key Benefits of Improving Listening Skills** **✅ Better Relationships – Strengthens personal and professional relationships through understanding.** **✅ Conflict Resolution – Turns arguments into conversations where both sides feel heard.** **✅ Emotional Clarity – Helps you express your feelings and needs without blame.** **✅ Empathy & Connection – Encourages deep listening and compassion.** **✅ Self-Awareness – Helps you understand your own triggers and needs.** **By improving listening to ourselves and to others, we shift from reacting to responding with awareness, creating more meaningful and peaceful interactions.** For more information and registration, please see the link below. [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/listening-hour-with-coffee-and-cake-tickets-622960340147](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/listening-hour-with-coffee-and-cake-tickets-622960340147)

Have you ever wanted to partake in hikes where you get exposed to new areas with luscious forms of nature, some amazing views and possibly some hidden gems? If so, this may be the right event for you. Welcome to another Hiking event where all of this is possible. This is the opportunity to form friendships, discover a different perspective of London, improve your fitness, embrace nature but also feel great about yourself. With this particular Hike, we’ll be hiking from Grove Park to Crystal Palace. We’ll be traversing through many parks, forests and nature pathways but also make new discoveries too. This is also part of the capital ring which is a 78 mile pathway split into 15 hiking routes. This is section 3. If you want to be part of the journey, feel free to join us. My fellow explorers, if you enjoyed the event, I’m more than happy to accept any donations which of course are optional but will go a long way to help me unlock and deliver even more exciting and engaging events and resources: https://www.paypal.me/calvinjoy Starting point: Grove Park Station Ending point: Crystal Palace station Walking length: 12.6km Duration: 4 hours at most Required clothing: Smart casual, comfortable shoes and a jacket in case it gets cold
Departure: 20 minutes after the meeting time. WHAT - Hike WHERE - Grove Park to Crystal Palace WHEN - 2pm - 7pm MEETING POINT - Outside Grove Park Station NEAREST STATION - Grove Park station REQUIREMENTS - Just your good behaviour is all and whatever is listed above for the walk. Disclaimers: Please be on your best behaviour and respect one another. This group doesn’t tolerate any misbehaviour and misconduct. Should such a thing take place, you will be removed. If you ask a question that either already has the answer to it or doesn’t relate to the event at all, I won’t respond. Whenever an event takes place, I will cut off contact 20 minutes after the event commences. If you message even 1 minute after the cut off time, I won’t be available as I’m conducting the event. There will be photography and videography by myself so if you are photo conscious and/or do not want to be in the video, do kindly inform me and I’ll try my utmost best to not involve you in the picture. Let’s all be responsible but please be aware you come at your own risk. Do be mindful of your possessions, belongings and most importantly, your safety. The ‘London society of explorers’ accept no risk of liability at this event.

**Hostess: Layla** \*This event is a collaboration with other groups and social networks and it will be well attended \*To attend this event you need to buy a ticket from [https://www.fatsoma.com/e/dm0csbqs/slow-dating-42-59-at-bocca-lounge-south-kensington](https://www.fatsoma.com/e/dm0csbqs/slow-dating-42-59-at-bocca-lounge-south-kensington) Age range: 42-59 ( as a general guide) Join us for a fun and relaxed night of a slow dating and socialising in South Kensington! Speak with 15-20 people of the opposite sex for 5 mins each then select who you like and leave with the contact details of some potential lovers! After the speed dating we stay for socialising so you speak more to the people who you like! The next day you receive the next day the contact details\* of your mutual matches (people you have selected and they have selected you back) at your e-mail! We don't send you to date in a online platform...We send you to date in real life with confidence! We run speed and slow dating events for more than a decade now and we are proud to say that they actually work! People that meet in our dating events date after, some make long term relationships, and some move together and we even had some marriages ! If this is your first time attending a slow dating there is nothing to worry about , we will be there to welcome you, put you at ease and explain you the process. Bocca lounge, is a multi-faceted instagrammable gem located at the heart of south kensington, serving a wide varying choice of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks to be accompanied with high-calibre shishas. For those hungry bocca lounge serves also amazing Mediterranean cuisine! The program of the night is 5:30-6:00 Registration 6:00pm-6:45pm First session of the Slow Dating 6:45pm-7:00pm Break-Socialising 7:00pm-7:45 pm Second session of Slow Dating 7:45pm Speed Dating finishes and Socialising starts How to find us: Just come inside and ask for Marianna's Speed Dating / Layla. Any issue on the night feel free to call Layla: 07377544606 For general inquires or difficulties with your ticket booking feel free to e-mail us at benetoupromotions@gmail.com or call Marianna on: 07949526733 \* By participating to the event you agree to have your details that you submitted to us passed to your mutual matches ( people that you will select on the form that will be given to you during the event and they will select you back). \*Our company is registered with ICO. so you contact details are safe with us Please Note: -Tickets need to be bought online and are not available at the door -Dress code: Elegant/Smart/Office Attire/Smart Casual ( Smart jeans are alright but ripped jeans, t-shirts, hoodies, sportwear, sportshoes or trainers are not allowed) -A valid proof of ID (Passport, Driving License, or National ID) is required upon arrival independently of the age for security reasons

Welcome, readers! Our May read is **_Kindred_ by Octavia E. Butler.** The story follows Dana, a Black woman living in 1976 California, who is suddenly pulled back to a Maryland plantation before the Civil War. She learns her survival is tied to a white slaveholder’s son. Forced to move between centuries, she must endure the brutal realities of slavery while fighting to hold on to her identity. Tense, intimate, and unforgettable, Kindred explores how the past refuses to stay buried. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

Welcome, readers! Our June read is ***Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible*** ***Voyage*** **by Alfred Lansing.** A work of nonfiction, and one of the most astonishing survival stories in history, we follow Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew after their ship is crushed by Antarctic ice. Stranded in one of the harshest environments on Earth, the men endure months of isolation, freezing temperatures, and near starvation—yet refuse to give up hope. Lansing brings their ordeal to life through vivid detail and firsthand accounts, capturing both the brutality of nature and the resilience of the human spirit. At its core, the story is a powerful testament to leadership, perseverance, and the unbreakable will to survive against impossible odds. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **all** **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

[Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3351321) Location: The Goat River South 219 S High St, Columbus, OH 43215 Street parking is free on Sundays [Menu](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/686d3ed16745133042482c5f/t/68ff654dbb03b96875430bde/1761568077220/all_brunch-20250311.pdf) Book summary: On a hot day in Bethlehem, a twelve-year-old Palestinian-American girl is yelled at by a group of men outside the Church of the Nativity. She has exposed her legs in a biblical city, an act they deem forbidden, and their judgement will echo on through her adolescence. When our narrator finally admits to her mother that she is queer, her mother's response only intensifies a sense of shame: 'You exist too much,' she tells her daughter. Told in vignettes that flash between the U.S. and the Middle East--from New York to Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine--Zaina Arafat's debut novel traces her protagonist's progress from blushing teen to sought-after DJ and aspiring writer.

Join us as we discuss our June pick: Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider! Book description: Even though she's not one of them, Brynn has spent her life among the Alaha, training to be a guard and waiting for the chance to attend the annual market hosted by the Kenta–the very same people who exiled her adopted community to a life at sea. Going to the market is a rite of passage eagerly anticipated by all young guards, but Brynn does not anticipate breaking a century-long peace treaty while there. Nor does she plan for the intense encounter with an enemy soldier that now threatens to unwind the fragile coexistence between their people–and everything Brynn once believed about herself to be true. Brynn's loyalty to the Alaha is tested when the truth of her identity is brought to light by this soldier who's taken an oath to bring her back to where she belongs. Narrowly escaping death on the violent high seas, Brynn's connection to the Alaha is further tested when she learns about the world of magic she's been denied. She was once certain of her fate and where she belonged, but the dark, knowing eyes of this stranger have her questioning everything, including her heart. Packed with knife fights and seafaring adventure, METAL SLINGER is the smash-hit start to the romantic fantasy duology, the Fire & Metal series

Come join us to discuss our July pick "Tusk Love" by Thea Guanzon! Book description: A merchant’s daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger in this saucy romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars. “A true delight of a book! Spicy and heartfelt—this one is a winner all around.”—Katee Robert, author of Neon Gods As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure. Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack. Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down—even if the spark between them sizzles with promise. Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance. Written by New York Times bestselling author Thea Guanzon at the behest of Critical Role’s Jester Lavorre, Tusk Love brings the most romantic story on Exandrian bookshelves to life.

By popular demand, the group wanted to read and discuss the semi-autobiographical novel by Henri-Pierre Roche, that inspired the Truffaut movie we watched last year. The book is available through the Columbus Library's interlibrary loan system. They reported there are twenty-eight copies available in the state of Ohio. If you have a library card, you can file an interlibrary loan request here: https://www.columbuslibrary.org/library-services/ . There are also used copies available on Amazon and eBay for under twenty dollars. You may want to rewatch the movie after reading the book, so we can compare and contrast in our discussion. The Columbus Library has four copies on DVD, and it's streaming on HBOMax.