Join us for an evening of gossip and sauvignon blanc with Katie Baskerville to discuss her book, Beyond Belief: A Defence of Gossip and the Women Who Do it.

"Call it what you will: the fact remains that gossip is entwined into our daily lives. From group WhatsApp chats to click-bait headlines, social media snooping to reality television, there is nothing more devilishly delicious, scandalous, and satisfying than a juicy piece of gossip.

All too often dismissed as the pastime of silly schoolgirls and bored housewives, there’s more to gossip than meets the eye. In today’s world of misinformation, where the voices and stories of women are being silenced, gossip has the power to shatter reputations and destroy credibility. Yet it can also be a vital political tool; a communication style that strengthens relationships and can even act a life-saving measure.

Tracing gossip’s roots from old wives’ tales and the witch trials to reality TV, whisper networks and defamation lawsuits, Beyond Belief asks, have we lost the ability to listen; to hear, and to believe women who speak up and speak out?

A joyous reclamation of women’s words, this book is for anyone who’s ever uttered the words, ‘You won’t believe this…’"

"A powerful defence of a woman’s right to speak. Everyone should have this on their bookshelf" -- Monika Radojevic, author of Strangerland

"Insightful, powerful and brilliantly written – finally us gossipers have justice!" -- Beth Ashley, author of Sluts

Katie Baskerville is the Bristol-based Welsh author of Beyond Belief: A Defence of Gossip and the Women Who Do It, a book that tracks the history of gossip and asks why women are discredited when they choose to speak up, speak out and speak to power. 

She is also a journalist writing at the intersection of gender equality, LGBTQIA+ culture and feminism, with bylines in British Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist Magazine, HuffPost, GayTimes, Mashable, VICE, Refinery29, Glorious Sport, The Metro, and The Times, plus many more.

At the BookCellar we believe that the only thing better than a book is a glass of wine to go along with it. At each of our author events we work with our guest to pair their book with a perfectly matched wine. You can then purchase your ticket, the book and a bottle of the chosen wine at a discount (reflected in the price listed below).

The paired wine for this book is Domaine Grauzan Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Languedoc, France.

Tickets: £8
Ticket & Book: £23 (save £5)
Ticket, Book & Wine: £33.40 (save £10)

Date: Thursday 27th August
Time: 6:30pm-7:30pm

Due to this event being held in our downstairs event space, this event will not be wheelchair accessible.

Entry requirements: 14+, any under 18s accompanied by 21+ adult 1:1 ratio — Read more — Read less