A Thrilling Double Hander with Nicholas Shakespeare & Charles Cumming

About

A Thrilling Double Hander with Nicholas Shakespeare & Charles Cumming
An evening of espionage, political intrigue and conversation at Messums West
Fox & King Books will welcome two of Britain's most acclaimed espionage writers, Nicholas Shakespeare and Charles Cumming, to Messums West on Wednesday 2 September 2026.
Hosted by Chloe King of Fox & King Books, the evening will explore the inspiration behind their latest novels, Frame 37 and Icarus 17, as well as the enduring appeal of espionage fiction and the art of building suspense.
Nicholas Shakespeare's Frame 37 follows former journalist John Dyer as he investigates the death of an old friend and uncovers a political conspiracy rooted in a crime committed more than 40 years earlier. William Boyd described the novel as "a tremendous, richly rewarding novel… Completely enthralling."
Shakespeare is an award-winning novelist and biographer whose books include The Dancer Upstairs, Snowleg, The Sandpit, Priscilla and Six Minutes in May, as well as acclaimed biographies of Bruce Chatwin and Ian Fleming. He has twice been longlisted for the Booker Prize and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Charles Cumming's Icarus 17 sees BOX 88 intelligence chief Lachlan Kite return to the field after a former lover asks for his help in finding her missing son. What begins as a search in Athens quickly becomes an international race against time.
Described by The Observer as "the rightful inheritor of John le Carré's crown", Cumming is the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of 13 novels. These include A Spy by Nature, Typhoon, The Trinity Six, the Thomas Kell trilogy and the BOX 88 series. He is also a screenwriter, with credits including the Gerard Butler film Plane.
The conversation will be followed by questions from the audience and a book signing.
Tickets cost £10 and may be redeemed against a book purchased at the event.
Event details
A Thrilling Double Hander with Nicholas Shakespeare & Charles Cumming
Date: Wednesday 2 September 2026
Venue: Messums West, Place Farm, Court Street, Tisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6LW
Doors and bar open: 6pm
Conversation begins: 7pm
Event ends: 8pm
Tickets: £10, redeemable against a book purchased at the event
Book tickets:
https://www.tickettailor.com/checkout/view-event/id/8743282/chk/806c0d5490be010b2356a463a6862283/
Notes to editors
Fox & King Books is an independent bookseller based in Tisbury, Wiltshire.
Press images of Nicholas Shakespeare, Charles Cumming, their books and the event artwork are available.
For interview requests, review copies or further information, please contact:
Faye Clark
Fox & King Books
fayevcclark@gmail.com
07564 670161
@mariposasbyfaye @foxandkingbooks