Griffin Books are delighted to be kicking off their 2023 events programme by welcoming writer and musician Fflur Dafydd to Penarth to talk about her must-read new thriller, ‘The Library Suicides’.

Set in the National Library of Wales, this intensely memorable and provocative literary read is an English language reimagining of Fflur’s bestselling Welsh novel, Y Llyfrgell, which was also turned into a BAFTA Cymru Award-winning film. The Library Suicides is perfect for fans of high concept thrillers that break the mould, and books about books and the concept of the written word.

Fflur will be in conversation with author and former BBC Arts Correspondent, Jon Gower.

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Twins Ana and Nan are lost after the death of their mother, a renowned author who seemingly killed herself by jumping out of a window. Everyone knows who drove Elena to suicide – her long-time literary critic, Eben. But the twins need proof if they’re going to get their revenge. When Eben requests access to Elena’s diaries at the National Library where the twins work, desperate to clear his name, they see an opportunity.

With careful planning and just a little outside help, the twins lock down the labyrinthine building, trapping their colleagues, the public and most importantly Eben inside. But as a rogue security guard starts upsetting the plan and freeing hostages, Ana, Nan and Eben find themselves pushed to the limit. And what began as a single-minded act of revenge blooms into a complex unravelling of loyalties, motives and what it is that makes us who we are.

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Fflur Dafydd is an award-winning novelist, musician and screenwriter who works in Welsh and English. She is a graduate of UEA’s Creative Writing MA, a former Hay Festival International Fellow and an alumna of Iowa University’s prestigious International Writing Program. She has also been nominated for several BAFTA Cymru awards for her screenwriting work. She lives in West Wales with her husband and two daughters.

Jon Gower is a former BBC Wales arts and media correspondent who has over 40 books to his name. These include The Story of Wales, which accompanied a landmark TV series, the travelogue An Island Called Smith and Y Storïwr which won the Wales Book of the Year. His latest book is The Turning Tide: A Biography of the Irish Sea. Jon is currently writing a Welsh language historical novel about the polar explorer Edgar Evans, a collection of essays about mountains as well as a volume about the American footballer Raymond Chester, due out in 2024.

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Wednesday 25 January
7.30 pm (doors open 7.00 pm)
All Saints Church, Victoria Square, Penarth
Tickets: £18.00 including a signed hardback copy of The Library Suicides / £8.00 event only / £5.00 Student Ticket