Blog

On Saturday 27th of July between 12.30 to 1.30 pm at The Quaker Bookshop at Friends House we will host James McCarthy and Peter Parr for a signing session of the new Kindlers books The Kindness of Presence: Revisiting the Bible with an open heart and mind and  Quaker Worship: Reflections and Explorations.

1) Peter Parr: The Kindness of Presence: Revisiting the Bible with an open heart and mind. The Kindlers.

This book is about presence and kindness. Its reflections, prayers and meditations are reminders of God’s presence and unconditional loving kindness. They also invite us to be a loving presence in the world.

In the Bible, the ‘name’ of God refers to the essential nature of God; to God’s intrinsic qualities. Presence is a name for God, since the Divine Spirit is ever-present, pervading all that is. Kindness is also God’s name, for God is love and love is kind.

If we are created in the image of God, then we share the nature of our Source. Our problem is, we become distracted by a thousand and one other goals. Like the prodigal son in the parable, we need to 'come to our senses' ‒ to return to present-moment awareness. When we are fully present, we can experience the presence of God and make a conscious choice to be kind.

It has been said that God has no hands but ours. It is through us, when we attend to the promptings of love and truth in our hearts, that God’s love finds expression in the world. The Kindness of Presence encourages us to be open to receiving those promptings, and faithful in responding to them.

2) James McCarthy Quaker Worship: Reflections and Explorations The Kindlers.

What is Quaker worship? This practice – sitting with others in silence, waiting, listening – why do we do it? What happens in a meeting for worship and what effect does it have? Does it make any difference - to anyone?

This booklet gets inside the experience of worship by asking over 50 Quakers in the unprogrammed tradition what they value about worship and what they do in meetings. The answers are varied, personal, surprising, and strangely compelling.

“Meeting is where I can be in a community experiencing the source of our being.”

"Without Meeting, I'm not me."

Quaker worship can change lives. How can we sustain and nurture it? Quakers have a recurring need to reflect on these questions. Sometimes the questioning becomes part of the worship.

Quakers often say that their first experience of Quaker worship was like coming home. This booklet explores what home is like.

Michael Gilson will present his book "Behind the Privet Hedge -Richard Sudell, the Suburban Garden and the Beautification of Britain" here at our bookshop Thursday, 11th July.

It is said that Britain is a nation of gardeners; the suburban garden, with its roses and privet hedges, is widely admired and copied across the world. But it is little understood how millions across the nation developed an obsession with their colourful plots of land. Behind the Privet Hedge explores the history of this development and how, despite their stereotype as symbols of dull, middle-class conformity, these new open spaces were seen as a tool to help bring about social change in the early twentieth century. The book restores to the story a remarkable but long-forgotten figure, Richard Sudell, who spent a lifetime 'evangelizing' that the garden be in the vanguard of progress towards a new egalitarian society.

https://bookshop.quaker.org.uk/Behind-the-Privet-Hedge-Richard-Sudell-the-Suburban-Garden-and-the-Beautification-of-Britain_9781789148602

Date and time

We are pleased to announce another book launch in our bookshop, this time with the new book by Jocelyn Robson - “Elizabeth Heyrick: The Making of an Anti-Slavery Campaigner”.

Elizabeth Heyrick fought fiercely for the rights of oppressed people. After a disastrous marriage, she became a prolific pamphleteer, a Quaker and one of the most outspoken anti-slavery campaigners of her time. Despite renewed contemporary interest in slavery, and in the stories of those who opposed it, female abolitionists are still much less well known than their male counterparts. Yet they were often more radical and more daring. Heyrick defied male authority and she led others in challenging William Wilberforce and his colleagues to fight for the immediate rather than the gradual abolition of slavery.

Published on the 200th anniversary of her most powerful and influential anti-slavery pamphlet, this book is the first full length biography of Elizabeth Heyrick and it sets her life in the context of the British anti-slavery movement of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. She was a woman who dared to put her head above the parapet and to call out those responsible for one of the worst abuses of human rights in history. She was courageous, loyal and uncompromising, and did not suffer fools gladly. It was not until long after her death in 1831 that her contribution to the anti-slavery cause started to be recognised and even today, she remains hidden in the shadows of the movement. Using archival records and recently unearthed family materials, as well as contemporary fiction and memoirs, the author creates a compelling account of an unsettled life set in turbulent times. https://bookshop.quaker.org.uk/Elizabeth-Heyrick-The-Making-of-an-Anti-Slavery-Campaigner_9781399068383

Date and time

Children's Day at Friends House

On International Children's Day, 1st of June, the event at Friends House was really amazing. Hosted by Quaker Bookshop in collaboration with CYP and Quaker Life, the event marked the opening of the new Children's Reading Corner at the bookshop — a colourful, cozy place designed to inspire young readers.

Julia Stacey did a delightful reading, captivating the children with two stories: first, the story of a giraffe that couldn't dance but was determined enough to learn and be happy doing it, and then, a story about inclusion and kindness, which is actually the theme of our reading corner. Afterwards, children were invited to participate in discussions and thoughtful book reviews, writing down their ideas about the stories. It was heartwarming to see the kids so enthusiastic about sharing their insights and opinions.    

Blessed by the day's sunny weather, the outdoor activities were a hit. Children participated in various games that encouraged teamwork and creativity. They laughed, sang, and ran around, having fun while parents joined in too, creating a wonderful sense of community and shared fun.

At the end, there was time for a few minutes of relaxation, lying down on the floor and experiencing peace and recovering the energy spent over the previous hours.

Throughout the event, the Seed Café was open, offering a setting for families to relax and enjoy their treats. Every child received a special snack surprise, adding an extra layer of excitement to the celebration.

Parents and children left with smiles on their faces and with memories to cherish.

A Day to Remember and Repeat

The Children's Reading Corner now stands at the Quaker Bookshop, open to be used by the young minds, and we are planning the next children's day very soon, and you won't want to miss it.

Wait for more information and updates on future events on our social media and website or contact us at quakercentre@quaker.org.uk .

We are very proud of receiving Tim Wallis at Friends House for the launch of his newest book, "Warheads to Windmills: Preventing Climate Catastrophe and Nuclear War."

'To survive the climate crisis, we need money, brainpower and infrastructure for the most effective climate solutions. Those resources are currently being squandered by the nuclear weapons industry. We'll also need the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters to stop pointing nuclear missiles at each other and start building unprecedented global cooperation. Can we “feed two birds with one scone" by converting assets from nuclear weapons of mass extinction to evidence-based climate solutions?

There are already excellent pathways to global nuclear disarmament. There are already excellent alternatives to burning fossil fuels. The obstacles are misinformation, propaganda, and politicians corrupted by profiteering corporations. This book is a tool kit for campaigners on both issues to work together on treaties, divestment, boycotts, lobbying, legislation, education, conversion and more. It debunks myths, frauds, and distractions. It's full of well-documented facts and figures, tools and strategies, personal and political inspiration for swift, decisive action.'

Program:

• Friends House café (the Seed Café) will be open until 5.30 pm for refreshments.
• The book talk will take place from 5.30-6.30 pm in the Library.
• From 6.30 there will be a book signing in the Bookshop.

Event Details:

Date: 5th June 2024

Time: 17:30 - 19:30 GMT

Venue: Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

Join Cato Pedder, author of Moederland, and Edwina Peart of Quakers in Britain as they discuss racial justice and the legacies of apartheid.

Join Cato Pedder, author of Moederland: Nine Daughters of South Africa and media officer for Quakers in Britain, and Edwina Peart, inclusion and diversity co-ordinator for Quakers in Britain, as they discuss racial justice and the charged legacies of apartheid in Friends House Library.

Published on 25 April 2024, Moederland is an exploration of the roots and legacies of apartheid seen through the deeply personal lens of a great-granddaughter of South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts, the world statesman who wrote legislation which enabled apartheid.

Following a short reading from Moederland, Cato Pedder and Edwina Peart will discuss themes including empire, colonialism, racism, guilt and culpability as explored in the book, which weaves together the stories of nine of Pedder’s female ancestors in an unusual history of South Africa.

These ancestors begin in 1652 with Krotoa, a Khoikhoi girl who becomes a translator to the newly arrived Dutch East India Company at the Cape.

Moving through slaves, settlers, and nascent Afrikaners, they feature Cato Smuts, who leaves South Africa to marry into the Quaker Clark family, and Petronella Clark, who marries across the colour line and is forced to live in exile in Lesotho, her mixed-race children both illegal and illegitimate under apartheid law.

The conversation will include a question-and-answer session, after which you will be welcome to join us for refreshments in the Quaker bookshop where copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/race-and-responsibility-in-south-africa-tickets-872646879307 

We are delighted to welcome, on the 25th of January, the Dr Maggie Brookes and the Professor Farah Mendlesohn for a talk at Friends House library about the extraordinary story of untrained volunteers who saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.

Novelist Dr Maggie Brookes and historian Professor Farah Mendlesohn will discuss the astonishing bravery of men and women who set off into a dangerous war zone to save the lives of children on both sides of the brutal Spanish Civil War. Their actions contributed to the Quakers being given the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1947 and set precedents for many humanitarian aid missions since.

Maggie's novel 'Acts of Love and War' was inspired by Farah's PhD. They will discuss the methods of research for academic work and fiction, and the roles of each in disseminating this groundbreaking and important humanitarian work.

As a special treat, Dr. Maggie Brookes and Professor Farah Mendlesohn will be open to questions and signing session.

Event Details:

Date: 25th January 2024

Time: 18:00 - 19:00 GMT

Venue: Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

This is a rare opportunity to witness the convergence of history and fiction, offering a rich tapestry of knowledge, inspiration, and admiration for the unsung heroes who shaped the course of history.

Reserve HERE your free spot now for an evening that promises to be both enlightening and unforgettable.