Join Amanda Smyth, Malachi McIntosh, Taylor Burns and Alan Beard for live readings and audience questions at Temper & Brown. Free entry.

Good stories deserve good company. Join us at Temper & Brown for an intimate evening of readings and conversation with four distinctive voices from Birmingham’s literary scene.

Amanda Smyth, Malachi McIntosh, Taylor Burns and Alan Beard will share their work, followed by the chance to ask your questions. Discover the people behind the pages, hear what inspires their writing and explore how their stories take shape.

Whether you’re an enthusiastic reader, an aspiring writer or simply curious about Birmingham’s creative community, come along for a relaxed evening of words, ideas and conversation.

Meet the authors

• Amanda Smyth — An Irish Trinidadian author whose novels include Black Rock, A Kind of Eden, Fortune and Look at You. Her debut, Black Rock, won the Prix du Premier Roman Étranger.

• Malachi McIntosh — Born in Birmingham and raised in the USA, Malachi is the author of the award-winning short-story collection Parables, Fables, Nightmares. His writing has appeared in The Guardian and The Book of Birmingham.

• Taylor Burns — Author of Trav: A Novel and Voce Books’ writer-in-residence for 2025/26. Taylor also co-curates STORIE, a night of experimental prose in Birmingham.

• Alan Beard — A Birmingham short-story writer whose collections include Taking Doreen out of the Sky, You Don’t Have to Say and Afternoon Drinking. His work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and featured in Best British Short Stories.

Free entry. Bring a friend, bring your questions and discover your next favourite read.

Description supplied by the event organiser.