The Infamous Gilberts with Angela Tomaski

“A family saga like no other. Gloriously off-beat, darkly comedic and totally bewitching. A bravura performance” – Sarah Winman, author of Still Life.

We are truly delighted to welcome author Angela Tomaski for her debut novel, The Infamous Gilberts.

Inspired by several tours of the spectacular Tyntesfield House, just outside of Bristol, Angela became enamoured with the history and beauty of the building, its inhabitants, and a bygone era. Wanting to hold on to that feeling, she settled in to write a novel – one that the Mr B’s team have been completely captivated by. We already can’t recommend The Infamous Gilberts enough, with its incredibly unique style and characters, it’s witty, tragic, and dazzlingly original.

Angela will be in conversation with Mr B’s own Lottie May, who once worked at Tyntesfield – so join us for what is sure to be an incredibly fascinating evening.

This event is programmed as part of the Curious Minds Festival: A Festival to Ignite Ideas.

Can’t make it to the event? Order a signed & dedicated copy here. We will have a limited number of Indie Bookshop Exclusives (pictured below) which will be included with every book+ticket!

About the book:

‘We shall be forgotten.’ he said. ‘We shall be lost. They will scrub us away like a set of dirty fingerprints on a plastic kettle.’

The crumbling Gothic mansion of Thornwalk, long-term home of the Gilbert family, is being handed over to a chain of luxury ‘historic’ hotels. Millions will be spent in its restoration.

But for every so-called improvement, what will be lost? What value can there possibly be in a threadbare carpet, a tarnished spoon and a thousand empty jam jars? Before the hotel people arrive, with their clipboards and their skips and their bottles of bleach, Maximus, loyal guardian of the Gilberts’ legacy, invites us on a final tour of the once-stately home, where each room holds a secret. From the bolt on the blue room door to the tiny dents in the bars at the nursery window … these are the keys that will unlock the lives of the five fatherless Gilbert children.

A frustrated romantic, a stubborn traditionalist, a dreamer, a diva and an explorer: The Infamous Gilberts will be cast adrift on the irresistible tides of the twentieth century, buoyed by love, buffeted by loss, and tangled together in an unputdownable story where the lines between eccentricity and madness, cruelty and love become hilariously, heartbreakingly blurred.

“Eccentric and deliciously addictive” – Rachel Joyce.

“Completely captivating: I absolutely loved it. A compelling, ingenious, mischievous blend of tragedy, comedy and intrigue” – Nina Stibbe.

About the author: Angela Tomaski was born in Oxford and raised in Somerset with her four brothers and sisters. She has had a variety of different jobs, including as a waitress, cleaner, English teacher and activity coordinator in a care home. She has a daughter and two grandsons, and now lives in rural Dorset.