John Steinbeck's Cannery Row Book Club announced for Limavady

Admission is free and open to anyone who would like to join informally to chat about this work and gather or contribute opinions about this entertaining and well-loved story.

The book is set in Monterey, California during the time of the Great Depression, and most of the characters struggle to make ends meet, relying on community and their wits to survive.

The story follows the adventures of Mack and the boys who inhabit a converted fishmeal shack on the edge of a vacant lot down on Cannery Row. Some say it is an honest attempt to capture the feeling and people of a particular place at a particular time, whilst providing a commentary on more universal aspects of humanity.

It is proposed that reading will mostly be completed at the individual’s personal pace and space, but a few evenings have been earmarked to casually meet, when some guidance and focus will be provided by Rita Deans and other club members for those who wish to participate.

A spokesperson said: “These events will be held in the recently rebranded Café Steinbeck in Drumceatt Square, beside the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre. They will start at 7.30 pm and last for about an hour and a half. We have a number of copies that can be provided free of charge and light refreshment will be available.

“The inaugural meeting will be on Thursday, October 19. Two further meetings will be held on November 23 and January 18. On the birthday of John Steinbeck, on Tuesday February 27, during our festival, the club will reconvene and be joined by Kay Miller who will deliver an insightful analysis of the whole book. Everyone is free to attend one or all of these events without commitment.”