An Evening with Joanna Miller
Apr
1

An Evening with Joanna Miller

Join us for an evening with Joanna Miller to celebrate the publication of her debut novel, The Eights - a captivating piece of historical fiction set in 1920s Oxford about sisterhood, self-determination, courage and friendship.

Joanna Miller will be joining us for a Q&A session (chaired by our very own Suddenly Joanna!) with the chance for you to ask her about her novel and her writing experience. This will be followed by a book-signing, with the opportunity to have signed and take home the novel before it is officially published! Light refreshments will be provided.

  • Tuesday 1st April 2025, 6pm

  • Suddenly on Sheaf Street, 22 Sheaf Street, Daventry, NN11 4AB - please note the event will be held in our upstairs space.

  • £16.99 with book, £5 without book.

BUY TICKETS HERE


View Event →
Joanna Miller in Conversation
Apr
9

Joanna Miller in Conversation

Organised by Hungerford Bookshop.

Join us as Joanna discusses The Eights - one of the most highly anticipated debuts of the year. A story of friendship in Oxford, 1920.

Date: Wednesday 9 April, 2025 7-8.30pm

Tickets: £6 (without book) or £16 (with book)

BOOK HERE

View Event →
Winchester Books Festival
Apr
25

Winchester Books Festival

Fresh Voices: A Conversation with Debut Authors

Step into the world of fresh literary talent with debut novelists Kate Kemp and Joanna Miller, as they join acclaimed interviewer Rebecca Fletcher for an intimate and inspiring conversation.

Kate, author of The Grapevine, and Joanne, author of The Eights, will share the stories behind their highly anticipated first novels, offering insights into their creative processes, the challenges of bringing their visions to life, and the themes that drive their work. From navigating the publishing world to exploring what it means to tell a story that resonates, this event is a must-attend for book lovers eager to discover exciting new voices in contemporary fiction.

Don’t miss the chance to hear from two rising stars as they reflect on their journeys so far and what’s next in their literary careers.

Talk length: 1 hour including Q&A, followed by a signing.

Venue: The Arc, Jewry Street, Winchester SO23 8SB

Duration: 1 hour

Book tickets HERE

View Event →
In Conversation with Joanna Miller
Apr
29

In Conversation with Joanna Miller

The Eights – Joanna Miller in conversation about her debut Oxford-set novel

Tickets here (£7.00)

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

7:30- 8:30pm

Caper, 74-77 Magdalen Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1RE

Join us at Caper for an evening with Joanna Miller as we celebrate the release of her captivating debut novel, The Eights.

View Event →
Stratford Literary Festival
May
10

Stratford Literary Festival

Penguin General Debut Writers

Saturday 10 May 2025 2:30pm-3:30pm

£10 (£8 students)

Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel Stratford-upon Avon, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6YR

BOOK HERE or call the box office on 0333 666 3366

The leading literary fiction publisher brings us three of their most exciting debut authors for 2025. Rupert Dastur's compassionate novel Cloudless is set on a family farm in North Wales. Catherine Airey’s Confessions traces the arc of three generations of women as they experience in their own time the irresistible gravity of the past, and Joanna Miller’s The Eights is about female friendship and is set in 1920s Oxford as women are admitted for the first time.

View Event →
BeaconLit Book Festival
Jul
12

BeaconLit Book Festival

New Voices

BeaconLit co-founder Dave Sivers introduces three thrilling new talents: Holly Gramazio, Joanna Miller and tba. Meet some of the most exciting rising stars of the literary world in this ever-popular panel. 

See rest of festival programme and book TICKETS here.

General Admission     £35.00*  

Morning Ticket             £20.00*

Afternoon Ticket          £20.00*

Location: Ivinghoe Old School Community Hub and Ivinghoe Town Hall, Bucks, LU7 9EP

View Event →
Talk: ‘Equal Citizenship of the Mind’ with Joanna Miller
Sept
4

Talk: ‘Equal Citizenship of the Mind’ with Joanna Miller

Equal Citizenship of the Mind with Joanna Miller
From 7pm-8pm on Thursday 4th September
In person tickets from £18. View online [Zoom] tickets £10. Click here to purchase.

This talk will explore women’s fight for equality at Oxford, from the establishment of the first colleges in the 1880s, to 1920 when women were finally accepted as fully fledged members of the university. 

In writing her novel, The Eights, writer and poet Joanna Miller gained some fascinating insights into the lives of the first women at Oxford, and the role that suffrage and World War One played in changing male attitudes. From overbearing chaperones, to climbing in windows and finding loopholes to beat the men at rowing, the lives of the first women at Oxford were certainly never dull!

View Event →
Masterclass: ‘Ways into Historical Fiction’ with Joanna Miller
Oct
11

Masterclass: ‘Ways into Historical Fiction’ with Joanna Miller

Ways Into Historical Fiction - A Masterclass with Joanna Miller
Held 10.30am-3pm (approx) on Saturday 11th October
Tickets are £70 and include a two-course lunch with hot drink. Click here to purchase.

 Join novelist and poet Joanna Miller for a day masterclass that gives you the tools to get started with historical fiction.

This masterclass is suitable for those wanting an introduction into writing long and short form historical fiction. Led by Joanna, participants will consider ways of creating memorable characters, immersive settings and compelling plots. There will be guidance on practical matters such as editing and research and help with creating immersive settings and building a character’s distinct voice. Over the day, the course will build confidence in writers, providing them with practical tips for moving forward with writing that is fresh and authentic.

View Event →

  • ‘A story about women taking their place in a man’s world, The Eights beautifully captures the power of friendship and love in the wake of extraordinary loss.'

    ― PIP WILLIAMS, author of The Dictionary of Lost Words

  • ‘I so enjoyed The Eights and became completely involved in the lives of the four pioneering heroines whose friendship is the beating heart of the book.’

    ― CLARE CHAMBERS, author of Small Pleasures

  • ‘The Eights is an entertaining and moving imagining of four smart women dealing with the engrained misogyny of the time. I came to love and admire the four as if they were my sisters.'

    ― TRACY CHEVALIER, author of Girl With a Pearl Earring

  • 'My favourite read this year. The writing is wonderful, the subject fascinating and the storylines utterly absorbing... I loved everything about this book. It is just perfect.'

    ― JILL MANSELL, author of Rumour Has It

  • 'Joanna Miller makes us care deeply about four young women who find themselves pioneers in a strange new world, trying to find a way forward in the aftermath of war. A thoroughly lovely debut.'

    ― JOANNA QUINN, author of The Whalebone Theatre

  • ‘Totally immersive and captivating. This is a GLORIOUS debut and the struggles of these four women felt incredibly real. Impeccably researched and beautifully written. I ADORED it. One of my books of the year.’

    ― JULIE OWEN MOYLAN, author of That Green Eyed Girl

  • ‘These women soon become friends through the page and make me fondly and nostalgically recall that feeling of pure hope, wonder and fear as one stands on the edge of adult life.'

    ― EMMA BARNETT, broadcaster and journalist

  • ‘Engaging, warm and intelligent, this debut about the first women students at Oxford - their deep friendship, and all they must face - is a delight!’

    ― LUCY ATKINS, author of Magpie Lane

  • 'I loved this book. A hugely entertaining and brilliant-written novel which gives us not one, not two but four incredible female characters to root for. Meticulously researched and impeccably crafted. An entirely delightful debut.'

    ― ANNA MAZZOLA, author of The Clockwork Girl

  • 'An impeccably crafted novel about four women struggling for equality in the 1920s that still feels painfully relevant today. It encapsulates the power and beauty of female friendships and it will stay with me for a long time.'

    ― JOSIE FERGUSON, author of The Silence In Between

  • 'I loved the carefully crafted world and the focus on the abiding friendship between the four... It was moving, spirited and a lot of fun, much like the heroines of the novel.'

    ― ZOE SOMERVILLE, author of The Marsh House

  • 'The Eights has all the hallmarks of a modern classic! Beautiful writing and superb characterisation evoking a hugely important time in our history which still resonates today. I adored this book.'

    ― CAROLE HAILEY, author of The Silence Project

  • 'What I adored most was the life-affirming friendships ... The true strength of this novel is the realisation of how powerful female solidarity can be. A joyous anthem to friendship.'

    ― KATE THOMPSON, author of The Little Wartime Library

  • ‘Charming, quietly devastating, the four young women at the heart of The Eights have stayed with me... A spellbinding, heartbreaking and utterly hopeful book.’

    ― CATHRYN KEMP, author of A Poisoner’s Tale

  • ‘A gorgeous debut about the first female students at Oxford in 1920, and I utterly adored it. I know I’ll come back to this book in the future for guaranteed blissful reading.’

    ― NAOMI KELSEY, author of The Burnings

  • 'A hugely atmospheric snapshot of Oxford at a momentous point in its history... Intriguing, clever and completely absorbing. The city itself was so cleverly drawn... I absolutely loved it.'

    ― CAROL ATHERTON, author of Reading Lessons

  • ‘Witty and charming … an atmospheric testament to the power of friendship and the tenacious young women who led the charge for equality of opportunity.’

    ― JESSICA BULL, author of A Fortune Most Fatal