How well do we really know our parents? Join author and gal-dem founder Liv Little for supper and conversation about her latest novel, Bitter Melon.
For our next HYFYV Book & Supper Club, we’re delighted to welcome Liv Little to discuss her new novel, Bitter Melon.
BITTER MELON
Jalissa and her dad aren’t close, but when he invites her to Jamaica, his homeland, for the first time, she says yes. She’s running from heartbreak and a loss of her own; he’s running out of time.
As they travel through sun-drenched towns and navigate tangled family roots, old wounds open and long-held silences begin to break. Along the way, they meet people whose stories shift their own, helping them face the past and imagine what might come next.
Tender, funny and heartbreaking, Bitter Melon is a road trip into memory, mortality and the love between a daughter and the father she’s still learning to understand.
Join us for an intimate evening of conversation about the people we come from, the things we leave unsaid and what it means to find our way home. We’ll talk about writing complicated family relationships, capturing Jamaica on the page, and Liv’s own journey from founding gal-dem to writing fiction.
“Funny, heartbreaking and unrelentingly alive, this book about what it means to get to know someone right before you lose them will change your life.”
BOOK HERE
— Scarlett Curtis
“A beautiful, tender story about the relationship between a father and daughter, the meaning of home, and finding your way back to yourself.”
— Shani Akilah
ABOUT LIV LITTLE
Liv Little is an author, creative director, filmmaker and broadcaster, and the founder of gal-dem, the award-winning publication that championed the voices of women and non-binary people of colour.
Her debut novel, Rosewater, put Black queer lives, loves and longings centre stage, earning praise from writers including Bernardine Evaristo, Bolu Babalola and Coco Mellors.
Working across film, television and editorial, Liv has been recognised by the BBC’s 100 Women list, Forbes 30 Under 30 and the WOW Foundation. Bitter Melon is her second novel.
AND NOW FOR THE FOOD…
Food is definitely a protagonist at the HYFYV Book & Supper Club. Alongside the conversation, we’ll enjoy a seasonal three-course supper inspired by the book and and its setting. The full menu is being dreamed up by our chef and we’ll be able to share more details soon.
ABOUT OUR CHEF, SHONA GRAHAM
We are thrilled to be working with Shona Graham on the HYFYV Book & Supper Club. Shona is a Bristol based hospitality professional, producer and community organiser working across food, culture and events. She is the owner of Emmeline Cafe and the founder of FODA Food Festival and The Anti Banquet, projects known for bringing people together through thoughtful and socially conscious food experiences.
Alongside this, she is Operations Manager at Team Canteen CIC, supporting grassroots food and community organisations through catering and partnerships rooted in social responsibility. Across all of her work, Shona is committed to food justice, sustainability and strengthening local food networks.
WHAT’S THE CONCEPT?
There’s nothing better than sitting around a table discussing a brilliant book. Unless perhaps there’s a delicious dinner involved.
And because the author is there too, you can ask them everything you've ever wanted to know: about the characters, the themes, the writing process and the choices that shaped the story.
That’s the idea behind the HYFYV Book & Supper Club. Every couple of months we'll gather around a shared table with an author and a menu inspired by the book or its themes.
There’s no membership and no commitment. Come whenever a book takes your fancy. You don't technically have to read it beforehand... but it does make the conversation even more enjoyable
WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE HYFYV BOOK & SUPPER CLUB
We will gather over dinner at Spike Island for a relaxed but curated evening. You can expect:
Author in conversation with How You Find Your Voice’s Jessie Huth
Audience questions and open discussion
Shared tables with prompts (to use or to ignore.)
A seasonal menu inspired by the book’s setting or the author.
The chance to meet other book-loving guests
Limited space to keep the evening intimate
No pressure to perform: you are very welcome to simply come, listen and enjoy the atmosphere.