BookNight with Andrey Kurkov

Sophie Kayes — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 09:29:28 +0000

The idea behind members’ BookNights is to have a thoroughly good time, encourage reading and discussion of reading, and to end the night happier and wiser than when it began. For more information about membership and the other benefits on offer, please contact membership coordinator, Sophie Kayes.

For February’s members’ BookNight we are pleased to welcome acclaimed Ukrainian writer Andrey Kurkov, who will present his recently published book Ukrainian Diaries over an intimate dinner with Frontline Club members.

Kurkov’s diaries portray the ongoing crisis in his homeland which began on the first day of the pro-European protests in November 2013. This first-hand account describes the violent clashes in the Maidan Square, the impeachment of the former president Viktor Yanukovcyh, Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the separatist uprisings in the east of Ukraine.

Guests will be expected to have read the book, ready and willing to contribute to the discussion. This will not be a standard format Q&A but an in-depth discussion, taking the conversation beyond the headlines in an attempt to make sense of the turbulent times that have gripped Eastern Europe over the last year.

The format for the night will be as tried and tested: drinks from 7:00 PM, dinner at 7:30 PM. We will get to know one another over starters before the introduction of the evening’s guest author. Andrey will then make his presentation and open the floor to discussion.

The evening will be hosted by Frontline Club director, Pranvera Smith and a founding member and senior correspondent at The Guardian & The Observer, Ed Vulliamy.

Menu £25 per person excluding drinks

Starters
Smoked Mackerel fillet with beetroot & horseradish cream
Pork belly salad with caramelised apple & dandelion
Pea & watercress soup
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Main Courses
Roast rump of Norfolk Lamb with courgette, mash & black olive jus
Wild sea trout with linguine & lobster bisque
Pumpkin & chickpea tagine with couscous & minted yogurt
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Desserts
Raspberry & blackcurrant parfait
Dark chocolate & salted caramel tart with creme fraiche
Lemon posset with shortbread

In the Picture with Anastasia Taylor-Lind: Maidan – Portraits from the Black Square

Merryn Johnson — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:18:38 +0000

When Anastasia Taylor-Lind arrived in central Kiev on 1 February 2014, Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) was under siege, surrounded by police loyal to the government. Rising tensions culminated in the worst day of violence on 20 February and the following day President Yanokovych fled Ukraine. In all, three months of protests resulted in 112 confirmed dead, and many more missing.

Taylor-Lind’s portraits have been uniformly shot against the black backdrop of her improvised studio, removing them from the context of the barricades just a few feet away. The ‘fighters’ are identified by their homemade body armour, and the ‘mourners’ by the bunches of flowers they have brought to pay their respects to the dead. Captured with an air of stillness and reflection, these photographs show the individuals involved in, and impacted by, the unrest.

Taylor-Lind will be joined in conversation by Olivier Laurent, the editor of TIME’s LightBox.

Maidan – Portraits from the Black Square will be published in its entirety by GOST Books in July 2014. Join Taylor-Lind for the official launch and signing on the book at the club on Thursday 24 July, from 6:30PM. For more details, see here.

Anastasia Taylor-Lind and Olivier Laurent will be delivering a day-long workshop looking at engaging with social media for photographers at the Frontline Club on Saturday 16 August 2014, 10:00AM – 5:00PM. For more details, see here.

Maidan Nezalezhnosti – Frontline Club

BookNight with Andrey Kurkov

In the Picture with Anastasia Taylor-Lind: Maidan – Portraits from the Black Square