Diary of a Film: a Reading List

On Saturday 21st May we'll be joined by the inimitable Niven Goviden for a conversation about Diary of a Film - a phenomenally fine-tuned novel about film, artistic lives, creative decisions and queer love.

Make sure you book your slot HERE for what will no doubt be a very special evening!

Because we couldn't quite wait for Saturday, we also asked Niven about the books that went into creating Diary of a Film:

"These are all books that range from filmaking, and acting to broader reads on the creative life and process, as well as essays on ways of seeing. I hope you'll find that something of this spirit was captured in my novel. I'd also give a shout to an earlier book of mine All The Days And Nights (Friday Project/Harper Collins), which focused on a life of portrait painting, and was crucial in the development of DOAF. Also, not listed because it's long out of print is Eve Arnold's photographic record of Marilyn while making The Misfits - vulnerability and magic on every page. Grab it if you ever find it... "

Below you'll find most of Niven's Diary of a Film recommendations, to welcome you once you've finished the novel and can't bear leaving its world. Those marked Out of Stock can still be ordered if you send us an email, but may take a while to arrive. The three exceptions, which are unfortunately unavailable in the UK, are:

The Complete Essays by Luigi Ghirri (Mack)

Anna May Wong: Performing The Modern by Shirley Jennifer Lim (Temple University Press)

The Devil Finds Work by James Baldwin (Michael Joseph)

Join us for an evening to inspire all kinds of creativity on Saturday May 21st at 7pm!