About

Mr B's couldn't be more thrilled to welcome Willy Vlautin, one of their team's most beloved writers (and musicians!), for the very first time as they celebrate the publication of his new novel, The Left and the Lucky.

Many of Mr B's customers over the years will undoubtedly have had a Willy Vlautin novel thrust into their hands on a visit to the shop, whether it be Ed recommending The Free, or Emma telling you how much Don't Skip Out On Me broke her heart, or how much Tom M loved the propulsively dark, The Night Always Comes. Willy Vlautin's books have become Mr B's staples, their cherished go-to's, the ones they can't wait to introduce to readers for the very first time.

The Left and the Lucky is already becoming a new favourite for many of the team – an incredibly moving story of a housepainter becoming an unlikely father figure to an 8-year-old boy in danger of slipping through society's cracks.

At Mr B's they feel lucky to have the enormous pleasure of hosting Willy for this special event, in the year of Mr B's 20th Birthday, and who knows, he may even bring along a guitar too…

About the book:

'And try to breathe, man. You gotta remember to breathe. You won't get so panicky if you can remember that.'

Eddie Wilkens runs his own house-painting business. Forty-something and living alone, he just wants to take life one day at a time. When his eight-year-old neighbour, Russell, starts hanging around, Eddie sees that this small kid – with his single mother working nights and his violent older brother – is struggling to keep his head above water, and so tries to help.

Equal parts heart wrenching and uplifting, The Left and the Lucky is a portrait of this unusual friendship – the ways hurt shatters people and the compassionate acts that can, maybe, hold some of those pieces together.

'One of America's great writers.' RODDY DOYLE
'Vlautin's characters are a vast chorus of broken hearts, reaching for grace.' COLIN WALSH
'No one writes with such empathy and insight as Willy Vlautin.' BEN MYERS
'Vlautin writes about people overlooked by society and overlooked by literature.' ANN PATCHETT

About the author:

Willy Vlautin has published seven previous novels, most recently The Horse, which was just named as a finalist for the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Award. The Motel Life and Lean on Pete were both turned into acclaimed feature films, in 2012 and 2017, the latter of which was directed by Andrew Haigh. Netflix's adaptation of The Night Always Comes is set for release in Autumn 2025 starring Vanessa Kirby. Vlautin lives outside of Portland, Oregon and is the founding member of the bands Richmond Fontaine and The Delines.

Tickets

Book+Ticket £16.99
Standard Ticket £8.00
Student Ticket £7.00