Staff book club network

Tracy works in the library on our Brackenhurst Campus and loves her job (her words!). Basically she loves books. Buying them, reading them, reviewing them, sharing them and talking about them. Join Tracy at these sessions for chats all about books, and look forward to some relaxed friendly book chat throughout the year.

All our book clubs are open to all staff and are free to attend. Please share with your work friends and colleagues who may be interested. Let's get talking about books!

Join us in October to discuss our book of the month — The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell.

Florence, the 1560s. Lucrezia, third daughter of Cosimo de' Medici, is free to wander the palazzo at will, wondering at its treasures and observing its clandestine workings. But when her older sister dies on the eve of marriage to Alfonso d'Este, ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father to accept on her behalf.

Having barely left girlhood, Lucrezia must now make her way in a troubled court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Perhaps most mystifying of all is her husband himself, Alfonso. Is he the playful sophisticate her appears before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble?

As Lucrezia sits in uncomfortable finery for the painting which is to preserve her image for centuries to come, one thing becomes worryingly clear. In the court's eyes, she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferrarese dynasty. Until then, for all of her rank and nobility, her future hangs entirely in the balance.

Be a WRAP book club champion

We're looking for staff champions to coordinate small book clubs across the University. In return, WRAP will provide guidance and support to help you get set up and running. Email WRAP to register your interest and find out more.