Medina Book Shop

An Evening Of Conversation And Music With Ian A Anderson
2025-04-11 19:00 (Europe/London) | Medina Bookshop, 50 High Street, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7RR, United Kingdom
Ian A. Anderson – no, not that one! – began his solo musical career in the mid 1960s, heavily influenced by old country blues players, before taking a left-swerve in the early ’70s into what nowadays gets called ‘psych folk’, with a trio of songwriter/ guitarist albums for the pioneering and now highly collectable independent label Village Thing.
He eventually settled into a personal – and notably English – style, drawing from traditional folk, blues, old-time and world roots musics, making some dozen albums by the end of the 1980s with groups Hot Vultures (with Maggie Holland), the English Country Blues Band and Tiger Moth. Then after a break from live performances in the 1990s he returned to stages and recording this century, with the trio Blue Blokes 3 (with PiL’s Lu Edmonds and 3 Mustaphas 3’s Ben Mandelson), the duo The False Beards (again with Mandelson), a re-union tour by Hot Vultures in 2016 and a very effective double-header partnership with Northumbrian traditional music master Alistair Anderson as Not The Anderson Twins.
Over the years he’s appeared in multiple guises at most of the UK’s important folk/roots venues and festivals (from the very first Glastonbury to Cambridge, Sidmouth, Shrewsbury, WOMAD and many more). Since 2017, he’s been enjoying performing and recording solo again, with repertoire and tales drawn from across those sixty years of experience.
Two recent well-received compilation CDs – Onwards! and Onwards Vol 2: A Crown Of Crows (on Ghosts From The Basement) – range over his entire recording career, and all his early solo albums were re-issued as the 4-CD boxed set Please Re-adjust Your Time by Cherry Red in 2021.
He now lives in Cambridge, from where he also produces and presents the long-running Podwireless podcast – covering “the world of folk, roots music and associated weirdos.”
Ian received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Folk Alliance International in 2019, the Gold Badge Award of the English Folk Dance & Song Society in 2015 and the Womex Award in 2010.
His long-awaited book ALIEN WATER: Six Decades Paddling In Unpopular Music is published by Ghosts From The Basement in 2025.

Harry Diplock
2025-07-17 19:00 - 22:30
Originally starting his journey from Devon to London in 2012 as a guitar builder, Harry soon became part of the jazz scene where his love of improvisation took over.
Now at the forefront of the jazz scene in the UK and co-founder of the London Django Collective, Harry has played all over Europe at venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza Express Jazz Club, Torino Jazz Club, 606 and The Green Note as well as being regularly played on TSF Jazz Radio, BBC 3 and Jamie Cullum’s Radio show.
Harry is also an educator in the style and regularly teaches as well as hosting various workshops at jazz festivals.

KATIE SPENCER !!!SOLD OUT!!!
2025-09-18 19:00 - 21:30
Raised in the East Yorkshire flatlands on the fringes of Hull (UK), Katie Spencer’s landscape has always been that of open skies and widening rivers. Industry still shapes the city here. The people, as with the land, are moulded by tides and stark horizons. Stand in the same place for long enough and you can watch the sun rise over the North Sea and then sink into crop fields, glowing auburn in late-summer sun. It is this sense of space and movement that flows through Katie Spencer’s music.
The songwriting, and most notably her guitar playing stems from a time when the steel-stringed instrument was truly finding its voice. Artists like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and perhaps most evidently Michael Chapman, flow into her sound, carrying with them the warmth and idealism of the early 70’s folk and songwriter movements.
Katie Spencer’s widely celebrated new album, The Edge of the Land (2022), follows her debut release, Weather Beaten (2019) which was praised for its unique song-craft, spell-binding musicianship and crystal sonic clarity, as she brought together fans of music from all backgrounds and walks of life. Delicate and un-rushed, the ten songs on The Edge of the Land drift by like ships on the horizon, yet intimacy and introspection still remain. This record reached #14 in the Official Folk Charts upon release.
The inclusivity found in her recorded works is most apparent when on stage, with a personal connection and humour that allows the listener time to appreciate the emotion of the music. Her historical gig list is extensive, taking in festivals such as the world-renowned Celtic Connections and Cambridge Folk Festival. Her performances have left audiences in awe of her confidence and craftsmanship with tour dates including UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, Australia and Canada.
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“Her articulate picking, with suggestions of folk and jazz, frames intelligently written songs and is the backbone to her music.” Guitarist Magazine
“One of the most satisfying and spellbinding singer-songwriter collections I’ve encountered in some time.” RnR Magazine ★★★★★
“Imaginative imagery supported by compelling music that summons up the best of early 70s folk, fluently delivered here with its own contemporary power. This is a fine collection of memorable songs by an outstanding writer and musician.” Record Collector
“A timeless English folk album, perfect for the still calm of a Sunday morning.” Shindig!
“Katie Spencer sits gracefully in a vocal nook between Sandy Denny, Linda Thompson and, to conjure a name we hear less often these days, Bridget St John.” Prog Magazine
“The way Katie plays is never contrived, showy or imitative; it sounds true … a world-class folk guitarist” – fRoots
“Katie’s guitar playing has echoes of my dear friend the late great Bert Jansch. Like a musical weaver she threads her poetic lyrics through the guitar’s strings and produces little tapestries of song” – Ralph McTell
www.katiespencer.net
https://www.facebook.com/katiespencermusic/
https://twitter.com/KRSpencerMusic
https://www.instagram.com/katiespencermusic/

An Evening with Esther Swift
2025-10-16 19:00 - 21:00
“a wondrous blend of folk and electronica in a sold-out amphitheatre … Björk-esque”
★★★★★
– Sound Effects review, The Edinburgh Reporter
​“mesmerising and … heavenly”
– The Light Gatherer review, jazzwise Magazine
“captivating”
– Rob Harbers, Ambient Light
“monster musician”
– Chris Wood, The Argus
Esther Swift explores ritual, connection, isolation, and the natural world in her performance with pedal harp and voice.
A prolific, boldly innovative harpist, composer and singer, Esther works across genres as diverse as classical chamber music and free improvisation, and writes for ensembles large and small. Having studied at Edinburgh’s St Mary’s Music School and the Royal Northern College of Music, as well as with harp pioneer Catriona McKay, she has received numerous prestigious commissions and featured in many international collaborations.
She has travelled to Vietnam, New Zealand, Malaysia, Mongolia, and beyond with her music, and shared international, music lead collaborations with musicians and other artists around the world.
She has recently been commissioned by Celtic Connections, Chamber Music Scotland, Manchester Jazz festival and The Edwin Morgan Trust and performed internationally with her band Emergence Ensemble.
Esther’s debut solo studio album, Expectations of a Lifetime, was released in June 2024.

Chris Cleverley
2025-11-22 19:00 - 21:30
Chris Cleverley was born under a solstice moon, in the honeysuckle mysticism of a late 80s Midsummer, where the symbolic sounds of ‘Hunky Dory’, ‘Graceland’ and ‘Ladies of The Canyon’ echoed from the woodchip walls of the South Birmingham terrace where he was raised; quiet and curious, saturnine and shy. Here, the soul of a young artist was shaped.
And so this winter, Cleverley tours his brand new collection of alternative festive songs ‘Gods Of All Things’, the follow up to 2024’s critically acclaimed ‘In the Shadow of John the Divine’ (“Holiday Music that doesn’t suck!” – No Depression).
Come bask in the intricate fingerstyle and lush ambient soundscapes of this true guitar-man, inspired by the Lo-fi American Greats, Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens & Phoebe Bridgers; A curious tapestry weaved from the hazy psychedelia of the 60s folk revival and the soulful oblivion of the 90s Pacific Northwest.
In his characteristically unconventional style, Cleverley offers part 2 of a bittersweet Christmas compendium for the head-spinning modern age. A brand new selection of songs for the misfits, celebrating this curious, magical season, in all its joyful and melancholy contradictions.
Whether you love or loathe the festive period, this rare evening promises a welcome, serene and reflective space for all to unwind in their own way, as the year draws to a close. With replenishing calm and warm humour, his one-man live show occupies the space between a concert performance and a yoga nidra meditation; Jarringly raw, hauntingly serene and effortlessly 21st Century.

Ryan O'Reilly , Jadea Kelly and Tali Trow
2025-12-14 19:00
Ryan O’Reilly, an English-Irish songwriter known for his poetic, emotionally charged songs, has spent the past decade touring Europe and North America, building a dedicated fanbase through word-of-mouth and compelling live shows. His music, featured US Netflix shows, and ITV’s McDonald & Dodds and After the Flood, blends folk, indie, and literary influences, with writing credits alongside London indie favourites Flyte, Germany’s Amistat, and Prague’s Anna Vaverková. His latest album Other Plans explores connection, solitude, and modern life with quiet power.
‘Ryan O’Reilly is the perfect antidote to our era of production-line pop, to see him live is to be reminded of what music is all about: people, passion and poetry.’ – London Evening Standard
Jadea Kelly, hailed by CBC as “a shining jewel in the crown of Canadian songwriters,” brings a cinematic, heartfelt edge to contemporary Canadian-country-folk. Her latest release Roses earned millions of streams and ‘Single of the Year’ at the Oshawa Music Awards, while her voice has featured in acclaimed film and TV projects. Fans of Alternative Folk music and artists such as Kathleen Edwards and Lindi Ortega will immediately fall in love with Jadea Kelly.
‘If you can imagine Patsy Cline writing songs with Feist you kind of have an idea of where Jadea Kelly resides in the musical spectrum’ – The Pop Stereo USA
Tali Trow is a producer, musician, and writer with over 30 years of global performance experience. From his early days as a chorister singing for the Pope to sharing stages with legends like The Rolling Stones and, more recently, Bonnie Raitt. Recently, he has reconnected with his own artistic voice, supported by the musicians who first inspired him. His latest album has been praised as a “treasure trove of good songwriting and musicianship,” with listeners captivated by the “sublime clarity and warm timbre” of his voice. Trow’s storytelling, lyricism, and vocal skills continue to bring joy to audiences.

Christmas Carols Under The Tree.
2025-12-21 17:00 - 18:00
Medina bookshop invites you to join us for our annual Carols Under The Tree performed by the wonderful Medina Community Choir.
Gathering around the Christmas tree outside Rosalie’s at the bottom of Market Hill, we, along with some of the surrounding shops will be offering mince pies, mulled wine and other seasonal treats. A chance to really get in the spirit of Christmas and pick up a few last minute presents. There will also be a charity collection.

Second Time Around
2026-01-29 19:00 - 21:30
Following our sell out show at Ventnor Fringe Festival, the band can’t wait to bring you a repeat performance of ‘Across the Pond’, an exploration of the similarities and differences of English and American folk music in the wonderful, intimate atmosphere of Medina Books.
Their rich and varied soundscapes allow them to weave together many genres of music and song of not only traditional folk, but early jazz, Americana, gospel and World music that has kept their audiences entertained and guessing for over a decade.
Bring your own refreshments.
Doors just before 7pm, performance starts just after 7pm.

Lucy Kitchen
2026-02-26 19:00 - 21:30
Lucy Kitchen is a British folk singer-songwriter based in Romsey, Hampshire. She makes music spanning Folk, Americana, a little bit of Country, and infused with the feel of 70s singer-songwriters. Lucy’s songs explore concepts of grief and loss. She is inspired by lyrical poets, nature, the seasons and making beauty out of hard things.

The Brothers Gillespie
2026-03-07 19:00 - 21:30
Described by Folk Radio UK as ‘weaving an especially compelling magic’, and ‘showing British acoustic music in its best possible light’, Northumbrian duo The Brothers Gillespie make music that is animated by lyrical songwriting, fine fingerstyle guitar playing, multi-instrumental musicianship and ‘the glorious tones of their blood harmony’ (Sam Lee).
Brothers James and Sam Gillespie found their sound growing up in the fells and valleys of Northumberland, their songs often describing relationships with wild places and the
experience of finding oneself in a world alive with soul. The music comes to them most strongly when walking in the borderlands with their packs and instruments which remains a
regular practice for them. This spirit is channeled into their live performances which have a rare and intimate energy, both ethereal and earthy, romantic and radical. The brothers have travelled far and wide with their music and have played at Cambridge and Sidmouth Folk Festivals and opened for Lankum and Sam Lee. In 2021 they featured in the English Heritage ‘Songs of England’ recording series that appeared on BBC Radio 4. The release of their new album ‘The Merciful Road’ (‘pure magic’, Living Tradition) in Spring 2022 saw them embark on their most extensive national tour to date.
‘The Merciful Road’ was recorded in a cottage by the banks of the river Tweed and like their previous album ‘The Fell’, it blends rootsy, acoustic elements to create a rich warm sound with a touch of vintage magic. In some ways it is an album about finding the thread of love
and belonging in a world that seems to be nonetheless unravelling.
The brothers emerge from the time of lockdowns with a yet greater reverence for the joy and privilege of being with an audience in real time and space.
‘Our music is inspired by the still wild soul of the land in which we live, a land alive withpresences, not owned by anyone. It is about seeing with the eye of the heart and recovering our imaginations. It is about finding home, belonging and each other in a world which is singing to us as we sing to it’.
“Anyone who has seen the brothers live will surely attest that it is an experience that will stay with you. There is a feeling of warmth that exudes from them and affects everyone in the room” – Folk London
“Not since the minimal chamber folk of Simon And Garfunkel has two voices and an acoustic guitar sounded so absolutely perfect.” FATEA
“Stunning songs beautifully sung and played. Without doubt a classic in the making from a duo potent with potential.” – Northern Sky
“Uncluttered, simply but intoxicatingly arranged and adorned by their magical harmonies, musically steeped in the earth, grass and leaves that mark the pathways, this is a road you really need to travel.” – Bright Young Folk
“The stars of the show were The Brother’s Gillespie – more than an hour of fantastic musicianship. Imagine the guitar work of the early Nic Jones, the close harmony work of
the Dransfields and the commitment and honesty of Bob Davenport rolled into two brothers and you’ll get some idea.” Mike Harding

Johnny Campbell
2026-03-18 19:00 - 21:30
Johnny Campbell emerged onto the UK folk scene writing self-penned material and delving deep into Northern English folk song and story.
‘A Modern-Day Billy Bragg’ – Tradfolk
The album From Hull & Halifax & Hell (2020) took him to The Faroe Islands where he recorded a live album on the island of Nolsoy. Since musical instruments hadn’t arrived on the islands until the 19th century, this is perhaps the first time Northern English traditional song has been recorded on these islands.
This album earned him album of the week with Blues and Roots radio and reviews with British folk press:
‘The spirit of the folk clubs in their heyday runs in his veins’ Folking.com
‘I defy anyone not to be galvanised by the total integrity of his exceptional rendition of (Ewan MacColl’s) Moving On Song’ The Living Tradition
‘A truly entertaining work. Lose yourself in the true folk experience’ Fatea Magazine
Since March 2020, Campbell hasn’t relented, releasing three singles, Hard Times of Old England, Winter Hill Trespass & A Right to Roam. The former receiving play on Ian Lynch’s (Lankum) Fire Draw Near podcast, Winter Hill Trespass (2021) gained national press in Country Walking Magazine & The Guardian.
‘Nobody else seems to be doing what Campbell is doing right now, and his passion and determination deserve recognition’ – Jon Wilks
A Right to Roam (2022) is a collaboration with Commoners Choir & Skelmanthorpe Brass Band which received the accolade of ‘One of the Best Folk Songs of 2022’ alongside contemporaries such as Eliza Carthy, Jon Boden, Angeline Morrison & more, chosen by Tradfolk.
2024 sees Campbell releasing True North, an album of Northern English traditional songs recorded on their respective county summits, garnering press from Country Walking Magazine, Folk on Foot & BBC Radio 4 Open Country. Richard Thompson declared True North as one of his top five albums of the year in ‘My Year in Music’ in UNCUT Magazine.
‘I can’t think of another project quite like this!’ Richard Thompson
⭐⭐⭐⭐'(True North) is a psychogeography field trip’ MOJO
Through extensive touring in UK and Europe, Campbell finds time to write for Britian’s best selling walking magazine, Country Walking as well as being billed with BBC Folk award nominees & winners in recent years such as Stick In the Wheel, Martin Carthy, Ye Vagabonds, Lankum, Daoiri Farrell, Ewan McLennan, The Men They Couldn’t Hang and many more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐’Haunting, Evocative & Pure’ SONGLINES
