The Outsiders - S E Hinton

S E Hinton is reading The Outsiders at Whighams Wine Cellars on Wednesday 28 October, starting at 19:00. It's a reading of the book she wrote, so the evening is built around her voice and the text itself. If you've read it before, it's a chance to hear it read aloud; if you haven't, it's a way into the story.

The Outsiders is the novel that made her a name. She wrote it when she was still in her teens, and it's a story about the divide between two groups of teenagers — the Greasers and the Socs — and the fallout that comes when those worlds clash. It's a book that's stayed in print for decades and has been read in classrooms and bedrooms for years, so there's a good chance you've already come across it, even if you've never picked up the book yourself.

Having the author read her own work changes the experience. You get the timing and the emphasis she intended, and you hear the story told in her own voice rather than imagining it. It's a straightforward evening — just the author, the book, and the room. The reading takes place at Whighams Wine Cellars in Edinburgh, and it starts at 19:00 on Wednesday 28 October.