Simon Van Booy, author of Sipsworth, in conversation with Margot Livesey

Porter Square Books is thrilled to welcome Simon Van Booy for the release of his latest novel Sipsworth! Novelist Margot Livesey will join Van Booy in conversation. This event will take place on Wednesday, June 5 at 7pm at Porter Square Books (25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140).

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ABOUT SIPSWORTH

Over the course of two weeks in a small English town, a reclusive widow discovers an unexpected reason to live.

Following the loss of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to the village of her childhood after living abroad for six decades. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss. She retreats into her home on Westminster Crescent, becoming a creature of routine and habit: "Each day was an impersonation of the one before with only a slight shuffle--as though even for death there is a queue."

Then, one cold winter night, a chance encounter with a mouse sets Helen on a surprising journey.

Sipsworth is a reminder that there can be second chances. No matter what we have planned for ourselves, sometimes life has plans of its own. With profound compassion, Simon Van Booy illuminates not only a deep friendship forged between two lonely creatures, but the reverberations of goodness that ripple out from that unique bond.

PRAISE FOR SIPSWORTH

“Sipsworth is a love story about a woman and a mouse. Reason suggests that such a relationship couldn’t possibly work, and yet I found myself pulling for this unlikely duo on every page. Simon Van Booy’s characters are loaded with charm, resilience, and the deep desire for connection that all mammals share. I loved it.” —Ann Patchett

“Enchanting . . . fresh and often funny, thanks to the author’s artful prose.” —Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

“Charming . . . generous . . . vibrant . . . reveal[s] something profound about the human need for connection.” —Foreword Reviews (starred review)

“Through tears, laughter, joy, and pain, I just couldn’t stop reading this novel about friendship and second chances. Sipsworth is a marvel—storytelling at its absolute finest.” —Marc Levy

“Whimsical, beautifully detailed, and filled with heart, Sipsworth is a slim, sparkling jewel of a novel.” —Christina Baker Kline

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Simon Van Booy is the award-winning, bestselling author of more than a dozen books for adults and children. He is the editor of three volumes of philosophy and has written for the Times, the Financial Times, the Guardian, the Telegraph, the Washington Post, and the BBC. His novels and short stories have been translated into many languages. Raised in rural North Wales, Simon currently lives between London and New York, where he is also a book editor and a volunteer EMT for Central Park Medical Unit and RVAC. In early 2020, he rescued his first mouse.

Margot Livesey grew up on the edge of the Scottish Highlands and has taught in numerous writing programs including Emerson College, Boston University, Bowdoin College and the Warren Wilson low residency MFA program. She is the author of a collection of stories and nine novels, including Eva Moves the Furniture, The Flight of Gemma Hardy and The Boy in the Field. The Hidden Machinery: Essays on Writing was published in 2017. She is a professor at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and goes back to Scotland whenever she can. Her new novel, The Road from Belhaven, was published in February 2024.

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