London: 1 May 2020 - Leading Nine Elms regeneration project Embassy Gardens has teamed up with Penguin Live to offer an escape from reality with their brand new virtual book ventures; Embassy Gardens x Penguin Live: A Guided Meditation with Ruby Wax, Embassy Gardens x Penguin Live: Virtual Book Club and Embassy Gardens x Penguin Live: Resident Short Story Competition. This partnership celebrates the world’s leading publisher Penguin Random House soon calling One Embassy Gardens – a new creative quarter in zone 1 central London – home, later this year.

Never has there been a better time to kick start practising mindfulness and channelling your inner zen, and with comedian, mental health campaigner and best-selling author of A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled’s session, you can tackle just that. Ruby Wax will guide you through an epic meditation with a dash of her light-hearted humour to help you reset your path to ease anxiety and feel more connected to yourself during these challenging times.

Going live at 7pm on Thursday 7 May, keen participants can register interest here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/247124463196643/ or for more information visit www.embassygardens.com/penguinlive. We will also be giving away copies of Ruby’s new book, How Do You Want Me? to a handful of lucky competition winners.

No surprises that now more than ever book clubs are becoming a virtual phenomenon, and for anyone wanting to join the hype, The Embassy Gardens x Penguin Live Virtual Book Club provides an affordable way to engage with others and discover new uplifting books. Commencing on 25 May, all members will receive an audio or eBook on a Monday (book available at a discounted rate) and have two weeks to read. The book club will then be hosted on a Sunday afternoon followed by a live discussion chaired by Hannah MacInnes, a regular host and moderator for the How To Academy and host on London’s Talk Radio. Please note there are limited spaces available and they will be given on a first come first served basis. Please see list of book schedule below:

• ‘Educated’ by Tara Westover: Monday 25 May book delivery, Sunday 07 June Book Club

Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one’s life through new eyes and the will to change it; an account of the struggle for self-invention.

• ‘Talking to Strangers’ by Malcolm Gladwell: Monday 8 June book delivery, Sunday 21 June Book Club:

Offers a powerful examination of our interactions with strangers—and why they often go wrong. Gladwell argues, because we don’t know how to talk to strangers, we are inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our lives and our world.

• ‘Girl, Woman, Other’ by Bernardine Evaristo: Monday 22 June, Sunday 5 July Book Club:

Tracking the lives and loves of a dozen British women through generations and social classes Evaristo’s panorama of modern black womanhood resounds with an astonishing diversity of voice and character as seen across a changing century.

Fancy yourself as the next Sunday Times Bestseller? Well, residents of Embassy Gardens will have the unique opportunity to take part in the Embassy Gardens x Penguin Live: Resident Short Story Competition, whereby submissions will be judged by Penguin Live. The most creative entries will win £500 worth of books and have their winning story showcased through the Embassy Gardens marketing channels! Follow @embassygardens for more information and to see the winner’s story!

For more information on these events please visit: www.embassygardens.com/penguinlive.

One Embassy Gardens is the flagship commercial building at Embassy Gardens and in addition to Penguin Random House will be the new home to sister company DK. Designed by Lee Polisano of PLP Architects, the 215,000 sq. ft. office building has exceptional commercial space over ten floors, a unique 360 degree roof terrace and winter gardens with spectacular views over the River Thames and Central London. Penguin Random House will occupy 83,400 sq. ft. across floors one to five with a dedicated reception and event space on the ground floor, whilst DK will occupy 44,000 sq. ft of prime office space across three floors.

Located in the heart of the Nine Elms riverside development, One Embassy Gardens marks a general shift within the media and publishing areas to move to this remarkable place of regeneration, with Apple also moving its headquarters to the area. London Underground’s Northern Line extension creating two new stations at Nine Elms and nearby Battersea Power Station, and plethora of shops, restaurants, cafés, bars and green spaces coming to Nine Elms is also a great testament to the destination establishing itself as the leading lifestyle and cultural hub for London.

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Notes to Editors

For further information on Embassy Gardens please contact:

The Communication Group plc
020 7630 1411
ecoworldballymore@thecommunicationgroup.co.uk

For further information on Penguin Live or authors please contact:

Zoe Middleton, Penguin Live
07721 113111
zmiddleton@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk