Mayflower Bookshop invites you to a literary workshop (in English) to explore Edith Wharton’s world of wealth, ambition, and social constraint. This workshop will investigate how Wharton’s novels, especially The Age of Innocence, expose the tensions of New York’s Gilded Age, offering a sharp critique of its opulence and rigid expectations. Through discussion and analysis, we will […]
Coming up - Pinocchio, a world-class classic Fourth event in our series Children’s classics Carmen van den Bergh On Sunday May 25, Carmen van den Bergh, associate professor of Italian at Leiden University, focuses on the famous story of Pinocchio, a masterpiece of Italian literature. With over 300 translations, it is not only the most […]
Children’s Classics 5: the unruly world of Winnie-the-Pooh Any series on children’s books, must, of course include that wonderful of bears, Winnie-the Pooh, hero of the books by A.A. Milne. Who hasn’t grown up with Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo? Who doesn’t remember phrases such as: “It’s time for […]
Coming up: Musical fairy tale “Peter and the wolf” at Mayflower Bookshop “The duck that quacked in the wolf’s belly” “Peter and the wolf” by Sergei Prokofiev takes centre stage at Mayflower Bookshop in Leiden on Sunday, August 31. At 4pm that day, expert in Slavic literature and languages Louis Smit will give a lecture […]
On Friday September 5, during the 2025 Leiden Pride, Mayflower Bookshop will focus on the impact of the AIDS epidemic on the LGBTQ+ community and their literature during the 1980s and 1990s. This epidemic had a devastating and still tangible impact on the lives of many, as countless people lost loved ones to the disease […]
Book presentation by Nicolas Journoud Of Bikes and Men (of the Netherlands) is a fun, illustrated book about the endless ways people — and sometimes even animals — ride bicycles in the Netherlands, and what that reveals about the country. It’s also a book about the part of our humanity that the bicycle brings out […]
Introducing the brand-new Mayflower Book Club! We’re excited to announce the launch of the Mayflower Book Club! Starting on October 22, we’ll meet on Wednesdays at 8 pm once a month to discuss the current book pick, which will be available at a reduced price at Mayflower Bookshop. Each session, participants get to vote for […]
Coco Hoek on Sans Famille As last lecture in Mayflower Bookshop’s series on children’s classics, Coco Hoek, expert on French literature, will treat us to a talk on the 19th century French classic ‘Sans famille’, a book that enthralled generations of Dutch children under the title Alleen op de wereld (in English: Nobody’s boy). Sans […]
On Sunday, November 9, Mayflower Bookshop welcomes translators Henk Akkermans and Wim Boot for an afternoon devoted to a fascinating form of Japanese poetry: the renga (連歌), or “linked verse.” The event (in Dutch) will take place from 4:00 to 5:00 PM at Mayflower Bookshop. Their talk marks the publication of De renga-meester - Alle […]
Nederlandstalig programma Bijdragen van: Coco Hoek, Ad Kaptein, Louis Smit, Ingrid Tieken, Wim Tigges, Leo van Zanen en de Mayflower Theatre Company Moderator: Freek Bouricius Jane Austen: Esther Straathof (Mayflower Theatre Company) 11.45: Introductie + interview Jane Austen Freek Bouricius (Mayflower Bookshop) 12.00: Jane Austen verliefd Prof. dr. Ingrid Tieken – Boon van Ostade, anglist […]
Our November Book of the Month comes from acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, known for Americanah and winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction. Her new novel Dream Count follows Chiamaka, a Nigerian travel writer living in America, as she reflects on love, loss, and the choices that shape her life. Around her move […]
As the year winds down, the next gathering is approaching, and returning participants are warmly invited to join once again for the last session of 2025. Many expressed interest during the previous session, so this serves as a gentle reminder that the doors remain open: no sign-up required. December will take a different shape: instead […]