Joanna Miller: The Eights

Joanna Miller's acclaimed debut historical novel, The Eights , follows the unlikely friendship of four women in Oxford's first female class in 1920. It is a captivating story of sisterhood, self-determination, courage, and what it means to come of age in a world that is forever changed.We're delighted to welcome Joanna to Penarth to talk about The Eights as part of her UK paperback tour . Join us for what promises to be a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable evening.The Eights:
They knew they were changing history.
They didn't know they would change each other.Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its 1000-year history, the worlds most famous university has admitted female students. Giddy with dreams of equality, education and emancipation, four young women move into neighbouring rooms on Corridor Eight. They have come here from all walks of life, and they are thrown into an unlikely, life-affirming friendship.Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fianc on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Beatrice, politically-minded daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way and her own friends for the first time. Socialite Otto fills her room with extravagant luxuries but fears they wont be enough to distract her from her memories of the war years. And quiet, clever, Marianne, the daughter of a village vicar, arrives bearing a secret she must hide from everyone even The Eights if she is to succeed.But Oxfords dreaming spires cast a dark shadow: in 1920, misogyny is still rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War are still very real indeed. And as the group navigate this tumultuous moment in time, their friendship will become more important than ever.
Joanna Miller has always loved stories - even from an early age, when the Headteacher complained to her parents that she had read all the books in the school library. Joanna went on to study English at Exeter College, Oxford and later returned to the University to train as a teacher. After ten years in education, she set up an award-winning poetry gift business. During this time, she wrote thousands of poems to order and her rhyming verse was filmed twice by the BBC. Unable to resist the lure of the classroom, Joanna recently returned to Oxford University to study creative writing. The Eights is her first novel.This event is part of our newGriffin Books After Hours series of talks, interviews and discussions, which will take place in our newly expanded shop.★★★
Wednesday 15 July | 7.30 pm
Griffin Books, 9-9A Windsor Road, Penarth, CF64 1JB
Tickets: 15.00 including a SIGNED copy of The Eights (RRP: 9.99) / 8.00 Event Only★★★ / 5.00 Student Ticket / 5.00 Inclusive TicketIMPORTANT:Please be aware that the toilet at Griffin Books can only be accessed via three steps and so is not accessible for wheelchair users or people with mobility issues. Please contact us oninfo@griffinbooks.co.uk if this would prohibit you from attending.Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.
★★★There is a limited number of Event Only, Inclusive and Student tickets available.