THE BOOKSHOP SERIES

Ben Aitken
Sh*tty Breaks: A Celebration of Unsung Cities

Wednesday 21 May 2025
Waterstones, Unit 72, Midsummer Place
Central Milton Keynes, MK9 3GA
Starts: 7pm. £5

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‘Driven both by a real love for people and an abiding sense of the ridiculous, Ben Aitken walks and talks his charming way around the unsung cities of the British Isles' -  Roger Morgan-Grenville, author of The Restless Coast

 

Waterstones Milton Keynes, supported by the MK Lit Fest, are delighted to welcome award winning travel writer and journalist Ben Aitken to the store on Wednesday 21st May at 7pm. Ben will be talking about his new book, Sh*tty Breaks: A Celebration of Unsung Cities, that highlights the UK's unsung and quietly brilliant places - including our very own Milton Keynes!

Ben is from Portsmouth: he knows that unfashionable places can be quietly brilliant. Over the course of a year, the author of A Chip Shop in Poznan and The Gran Tour, visited twelve of the UK and Ireland's least popular spots - not to take the mickey or stick the boot in, but to seek out the good stuff and uncover the gems. Anywhere - like anyone - can be interesting and nourishing and enjoyable if approached in the right fashion. Accordingly, Ben skiied in Sunderland, kissed an alpaca in Bradford, ate jellied eels in Chelmsford and had more craic in Limerick than was wise!

The upshot is a celebration of the underdog. Ghosting the overdone and often overpriced in an algorithm-driven, over-signposted world, dominated by celebs and hot-spots, this book champions the unsung.

So...to find out quite what he got up to in Milton Keynes, join us instore (sorry, no alpacas allowed!) for what we know will be a funny and illuminating evening. Copies of Ben's book will be available to purchase on the evening, and he will be signing and dedicating them following his talk. All ticket holders will receive a complimentary beverage. We look forward to seeing you there!

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About Ben Aitken
Ben Aitken was born under Thatcher, grew to 6ft then stopped, and is an Aquarius. He is the author of five previous books: Dear Bill Bryson, A Chip Shop in Poznan (a Times bestseller), The Gran Tour ('Both moving and hilarious', Spectator), The Marmalade Diaries, and Here Comes the Fun .

More about Ben: 

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