An Evening with Sam Leith – Putney

Join us for an evening in conversation with Sam Leith as he discusses his brilliant new book, The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading.

Do you remember the first time you fell in love with a book?

In a pioneering history of children’s literature, from the ancient world to the present day, Sam Leith reveals the magic of our most cherished stories, and the ways in which they have shaped and consoled entire generations. Excavating the complex lives of beloved writers, Leith offers a humane portrait of a genre – one acutely sensitive to its authors’ distinct contexts.

Sam Leith is Literary Editor of the Spectator. He has also written extensively for the Guardian, TLS, Financial Times, Telegraph and Daily Mail, and was a judge for the 2015 Man Booker Prize.

‘Sam Leith has been encyclopedic and forensic in this journey through children’s books. It’s a joy for anyone who cares or wonders why we have children’s literature.’ MICHAEL ROSEN

‘Profoundly erudite and gloriously entertaining, this is the most purely enjoyable literary history I have ever read.’ TOM HOLLAND