Society of Authors Events

We are delighted that we are hosting a series of author talks facilitated by the Society of Authors. Please find below a list of events, along with a link where you can book your tickets. All tickets cost £5 plus 50p booking fee:

• Wednesday 4th June - Glossop Library - James Ellson - 'Writing Crime Fiction in a House Visited by Agatha Christie' - James Ellson's shared history with the most successful mystery writer of all time - 11am-12pm - 01629 531199 - book tickets here
• Thursday 5th June - Chesterfield Library - Mark Eklid - 'From Fact to Fiction' - how a career in journalism influenced my approach to writing crime thrillers - 5.30-6.30pm - 01629 533400 - book tickets here.
• Tuesday 10th June - Ilkeston Library - Roger Clough - Oldenland: A journey in search of the good last years. This is Roger’s first book for a non-academic audience and is a funny reflection on his journey in the land of old age, and making the most of your senior years - 11am-12.30pm - 01629 533275 - book tickets here
• Monday 16th June - Sandiacre Library - Jane Bettany - join the author of the DI Isabel Blood crime novels, set in the fictional Derbyshire town of Bainbridge, and a cosy crime series featuring amateur sleuth Violet Brewster - 2-3pm - 01629 533359 - buy tickets here
• Wednesday 18th June - Borrowash Library - Steven Dunne - meet thriller and crime writer Steven Dunne whose Reaper Trilogy featured Borrowash - 4.15-5.15pm - 01629 533448 - buy tickets here
• Thursday 19th June - Bakewell Library - Tom Mead - a talk on the mysterious world of Golden Age crime fiction - 2-3pm - 01629 533964 - buy tickets here
• Thursday 26th June - Glossop Library - Catherine Wimpeney, Simon Michael, Caroline England & David Beckler - 'Murder They Wrote': The Criminal Collective comes to Glossop' - four South Manchester-based crime authors discuss their books and their writing, followed by a Q&A session and book signing - 12.30-2pm - 01629 531199 - buy tickets here
• Saturday 28th June - Heanor Library - Clare C. Saunders - craft event and talk with the best-selling Derbyshire-based children's author, who will share some of her stories and then join in with a fun craft activity - 10.30am-12pm - 01629 533795 - buy tickets here

Adult Events in June

Come along to a variety of events and information for adults in libraries:

• Every Monday - Clowne Library - Craft and Chatter - bring craft and chat with people - 2-4pm - 01629 537248
• Every Tuesday - Wirksworth Library - Knit & Knatter - sit, chatter, knit and natter - 2-4.30pm - 016298 533730
• Every Tuesday - Pinxton Library - Weekly Creative/Mindfulness Colouring - join us to relax and colour your troubles away - 3-4.30pm - 01629 535815
• Every Wednesday - Glossop Library - Weekly Family History Group - family history help available from our volunteer - 5-6pm - 01629 531199
• Every Thursday - Pinxton Library - Weekly Coffee & Conversation - relax and have a chat with coffee and biscuits - 11am-12.30pm - 01629 535815
• Thursday 5th June - Pinxton Library - Pinxton Readers - as part of coffee morning, join us for our reader group to discuss our latest book and pick up the next one - 11am-12.30pm - 01629 535815
• Saturday 7th June - Chesterfield Library - Chesterfield & District Family History Society - 'It's a Family Affair, 1989-2025' - come along and meet Chesterfield & District Family History Society as they celebrate 35 years of researching - 10am-2.30pm - 01629 533400 - learn more here
• Wednesday 11th June - Borrowash Library - Puzzle Party - as part of Loneliness Awareness Week, join other local residents to complete puzzles together and have a good ol' chat - 9.30am-1pm & 2-6pm - 01629 533448
• Wednesday 11th June - Ripley Library - HiVis Day - Showcasing local groups & support for people in and around the local area who suffer from visual disabilities - 10am-3pm - 01629 532982 - learn more about HiVis Day here
• Friday 13th June - Borrowash Library - Community Outreach Drop-In Event - local groups and services will be present to provide information about their work and how they can support you. There will also be information on what's on in the local area, as well as raising awareness and in support of HiVis and Loneliness - 9.30am-12.30pm - 01629 533448
• Saturday 21st June - Ashbourne Library - Open the Door - poetry in the Library, showcasing original work by Ashbourne Writers Group - 12-1pm - 01629 533950 - BOOKING ESSENTIAL - learn more about Ashbourne Writers Group here
• Tuesday 24th June - Ashbourne Library - Writing for Children is Not Child's Play - Elaine Hallam, Caroline Wedd, and Chris White discuss plots, illustrations, getting published, and publicity - 2.30-4pm - 01629 533950 - BOOKING ESSENTIAL
• Tuesday 24th June - Belper Library- Board Game Club - fun and welcoming for all age, we have a range of classic and modern board games for you to try, and support from our volunteer to get you started - 4-6pm - 01629 533192
• Saturday 28th June - Ashbourne Library - Time Swap - join members of the community to 'swap' your time to help somebody else, from gardening to IT skills to cookery lessons - 10am-12pm - 01629 533950 - learn more about Time Swap here

All events are free drop-ins unless otherwise stated. Please ring the phone number provided for more information.

June Activities for Families:

Lots of exciting events are planned:

• Saturday 7th June - Swadlincote Library - Family LEGO Challenge - can you and your family complete this month's LEGO building challenge? Suitable for all ages - 10am-12pm - 01629 533013
• Saturday 7th June - Pinxton Library - Saturday LEGO Creators - use whatever bricks you like to master build whatever you can imagine - 10am-12pm - 01629 535815
• Saturday 7th June - Alfreton Library - LEGO Club - use your imagination to free build with our selection of LEGO and Duplo - 10am-12.30pm - 01629 531481
• Saturday 7th June - Belper Library - Family Craft Drop-In Session - come and try a fun, simple craft, suitable for families with children aged four and over - 10am-1pm - 01629 533192
• Monday 9th June - Glossop Library - Money Group - teaching children how money works - 1-3pm - 01629 531199
• Saturday 14th June - Alfreton Library - Mix & Match Morning - drop in for a selection of LEGO, crafts, and games for all the family - 10am-12.30pm - 01629 531481
• Thursday 19th June - Wirksworth Library - Children's Singalong - dance, sing, and shake your thing at Wirksworth Library's Children's Singalong (0-5 years) - 2.15-2.45pm - 01629 533730
• Saturday 21st June - Alfreton Library - Games Club - drop in for a selection of games and puzzles suitable for all the family - 10am-12.30pm - 01629 531481
• Saturday 21st June - Glossop Library - LEGO Club - come along and enjoy making themed items from LEGO - 11am-12pm - 01629 531199
• Saturday 21st June to Saturday 5th July - Borrowash Library - Summer Holiday Children's Craft Activity - 'Make Cherry Blossom Trees' - in support of the Summer Reading Challenge, come along anytime and bring your creativity - during library opening hours - 01629 533448 
• Thursday 26th June - Pinxton Library - After School Crafts - come and join us in making some sea creature crafts - 3-4.30pm - 01629 535815
• Saturday 28th June - Alfreton Library - Crafty Saturday - drop in for under-the-sea themed crafts and trail for all the family - 10am-12.30pm - 01629 531481

All events are free drop-ins unless otherwise stated. Please ring the phone number provided for more information.

Derbyshire Record Office

Tupton Primary School Visit

As Tupton Primary School celebrates its 150^th anniversary next year, four pupils from the junior department visited us recently, along with their headteacher, Miss Richards. They wanted to find out more about the history of their school, so they can share that information with the rest of the school during next year’s celebrations. Old school log books and other records helped them discover who the first head teachers were (one for the boys, another for the girls and infants), how the school building and area around the school have changed over the last 150 years, and what subjects their Victorian and Edwardian counterparts were taught. It came as quite a surprise that even as far back as 1896 the writing exercise was about football!

(Image: Page from the school log book, 1896)

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Derbyshire Adult Community Education Services

Monday 16 June to Sunday 22 June 2025 Celebrating ability, raising awareness, and promoting inclusion.

Learning Disability Week is a time to educate, raise awareness, and celebrate the talents and contributions of people with learning disabilities.

Having a learning disability does not mean someone is not intelligent, it means they learn in a different way and may need extra support to succeed. Unfortunately, people with learning disabilities are more likely to experience low self-esteem, social exclusion, and mental health challenges due to misunderstanding and lack of support.

Let us change that together.

Join us to:

• Learn more about learning disabilities.
• Discover the support and courses available.
• Meet other organizations and services ready to help.
• Celebrate the skills and achievements of adults with learning disabilities.

🗓️ Event Schedule:

📍 Monday 16 June 2025 – 1pm to 3pm Clay Cross ACE Market Street, Clay Cross, S45 9JE

📍 Wednesday 18 June 2025 – 1pm to 3pm Enterprise Event at Derbyshire Eco Centre Porter Lane, Middleton by Wirksworth, DE4 4LS

📍 Thursday 19 June 2025 – 1pm to 3pm Ilkeston and Cotmanhay ACE Centre Bennerley Avenue, Ilkeston, DE7 8PF

🎉 Let us celebrate together! Come and find out about the courses we offer, how we can help you meet new people, gain new skills, and most importantly, have fun while learning!

💬 We are here for you. If you or someone you know has a learning disability, come and talk to us. We want to help you reach your goals, your way.

Multi-Use titles 

Every month we get a new selection of titles on our FREE BorrowBox app of both eBooks and eAudiobooks that can be taken out by multiple users at one time. These stay multi-use for 60 days, so if you have a book club and you're looking for your next title then one of these could be your next choice! 

You can find these titles on the main BorrowBox page, identified as a collection with 'No Waiting!' or 'Available Now!'

Titles available from June are:

In eBook & eAudio:

• Parade - Rachel Cusk
• April in Spain - John Banville
• The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton

In eAudiobook only:

• The Midnight Feast - Lucy Foley
• How to Train Your Dragon - Cressida Cowell

In eBook Only:

• The Mother - TM Logan

New Adult Books

Here are three new exciting novels for you to discover in June!

A Novel Murder - E.C. Nevin

Welcome to the Killer Lines Crime Festival!

In the quaint town of Hoslewit, the biggest names in crime writing have congregated to celebrate all things bookish and murderous. With a programme packed with seminars and signings, egos and alcohol, it's sure to be a thrilling weekend.

Author Jane Hepburn is determined this is going to be her year. She's not quite reached the heady heights of best-sellerdom yet, but is convinced that if she can just make the right connections at the festival, it could be the start of a whole new chapter for her and her books.

Then her literary agent is killed, and Jane's plans are derailed. But if she can solve the murder, perhaps it will provide the boost her writing career needs? If she lives to tell the tale, that is.

What Happens in the Dark - Kia Abdullah

Lily and Safa were best friends growing up. Now, Lily is the nation’s favourite breakfast TV presenter and Safa, once a renowned journalist, is reeling from a recent fall from grace.

When news breaks about suspicious bruises on Lily’s body, Safa attempts to rekindle their old friendship. But Lily claims the bruises are nothing to worry about. And then one night the police are called to Lily’s home. Lily is strangely calm – and a body lies dead at her feet.

Lily pleads not guilty, and then says nothing more. Driven by her desire to give a voice to all victims, Safa begins her own investigation into what happened that night.

But Safa is not prepared for what her quest for justice will uncover …

Grow food anywhere: how to plant the right crops in the right place and help your garden thrive - Lucy Chamberlain, Royal Horticultural Society 

Following the principle of “right crop, right place”, everyone can grow fruits and vegetables that will thrive in their space, large or small. Including varieties of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and edible flowers, there is something here for everyone – from favourites like chilis and figs to honeyberry, wasabi, agretti, and amaranth.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil - V.E. Schwab

Santo Domingo de la Calzada, 1532.

London, 1837.

Boston, 2019.

Three young women, their bodies planted in the same soil, their stories tangling like roots.One grows high, and one grows deep, and one grows wild.

And all of them grow teeth.

Children's Book Recommendations

One of our favourite things to do is recommend amazing children's books to you! This month we recommend you check out these titles:

Liliana the Strong - Quentin Blake (Author) and Emma Chichester Clark (Illustrator)

Liliana wears her super power lightly, using it to help others in a crisis. A resilient child, she thinks nothing of singlehandedly rescuing a highland cow stuck in the mud, or of stopping an out-of-control steamroller in its tracks, or of throwing a beached whale back out to sea.

Doom of the Darkwing (How to Train Your Dragon School) - Cressida Cowell (Author & Illustrator)

Join Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third and his dragons, Toothless and Windwalker, in their hilarious, hair-raising adventures at the Isle of Berk's Training School for Vikings and Dragons. Where they are BOTTOM in pretty much everything.

Disastrous Lesson Number One: The Art of Battle.

It was supposed to be a quiet, SENSIBLE lesson. Hiccup never MEANT to get into TROUBLE.

But things take an unexpected turn along the way and Hiccup and his friends soon find themselves adrift on stormy seas, in a sinking ship, facing imminent DOOM, in one of their BIGGEST adventures ever...

Mega: The Most Enormous Animals Ever - Jules Howard (Author) & Gavin Scott (Illustrator)

A fascinating celebration of the world's most enormous animals!

Discover the magnificent megafauna that have shaped our planet - from the mighty megalodon, sabre-toothed cats and giant birds that existed millions of years ago, to the elephants, giraffes and whales that live today.