Clive today attended the launch of Elthamread 2017 at Eltham Library. Elthamread is a campaign to get everyone living in SE9 to read the same book each October then come together at various events to discuss their views. The aim is to encourage people to read books and talk about them.

The Elthamread book for this year is Stella Duffy’s novel London Lies Beneath, Clive opened the event by reading an extract from the book.

The novel is based on the true story of three 12-year-old boys from south London who joined an ill-fated scouting expedition in 1912. The book was picked for its vivid and touching story which generates lots of different themes and issues ripe for discussion.

London Lies Beneath tells the story of three friends, Tom, Jimmy and Itzhak, living in the poor community of Walworth, who are inspired to join Lord Baden-Powell’s newly-formed Boy Scouts and take part in a sailing expedition down the Thames. It is no plot spoiler to reveal that the trip ends in disaster. The book’s coverline states ‘August 1912: three friends set out on an adventure. Two of them come home.

To find out more about Elthamread and to get involved visit http://elthamread.co.uk/