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Louis de Bernières: On new memoir Smelling of Rooks.

Louis de Bernières: On new memoir Smelling of Rooks.

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About This Event

Louis de Bernières celebrates his new memoir Smelling of Rooks with readings and a Q&A at The Portico Library in Manchester on 24 October 2026. He will also perform brief acoustic songs during the literary event.

Join best-selling author Louis de Bernières (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Birds Without Wings) to celebrate his new memoir, Smelling of Rooks

Louis will be reading from his new book Smelling of Rooks, followed by an audience Q&A, and a book signing. He’ll also perform a brief acoustic song or two!

Drawn from Louis de Bernières’s hugely popular Facebook posts written between 2015 and 2024, Smelling of Rooks gathers a decade of reflections, anecdotes and observations on everything from music, cats and motorcycles to politics, parenting and the perils of social media. It is a book about the texture of ordinary days, told with the warmth, eccentricity and mischief that have made de Bernières one of Britain’s most beloved storytellers.

Set against the rolling fields and modest peaks of what he calls the ‘Norfolk Alps’, this accidental memoir captures a writer at ease with his life, his readers and his absurdities. There are riffs on the pleasures of cooking and DIY, portraits of friends and neighbours, the escapades of his children, and the unpredictable joys of country living.

At once funny, tender and defiantly unfiltered, Smelling of Rooks shows Louis de Bernières as he really is – reflective, unpretentious and gloriously human. A celebration of family, friendship and the small wonders of daily life, it is a book to dip into, laugh with, and treasure.

Description supplied by the event organiser.

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Searching near 57 Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HY
Check-in: Saturday, 24 October 2026
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Frequently asked questions

Louis de Bernières: On new memoir Smelling of Rooks. takes place on Saturday, 24 October 2026 at 15:00.

Louis de Bernières: On new memoir Smelling of Rooks. is held at The Portico Library in Manchester (57 Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HY).

Tickets for Louis de Bernières: On new memoir Smelling of Rooks. are priced at £6.13. Live prices and availability are shown on Eventbrite.

Yes — hotels within walking distance of The Portico Library can be compared using the accommodation search further down this page.

Tickets for Louis de Bernières: On new memoir Smelling of Rooks. can be booked via Eventbrite using the "Check Tickets & Live Prices" button on this page, which opens the official booking site in a new tab.

Price

£6.13

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