Medina Bookshop in Cowes hosts a rare island visit from Amy Jeffs, Gwen Burns and Natalie Brice as Soft Lap, performing the illustrated songbook Old Songs: Stories of Love and Death from Traditional Ballads. If you like myth, folk music and storytelling that feels scholarly without being dry, this is the stronger of the two Amy Jeffs nights: live performance, visual storytelling and the ballad histories woven through the set.
The bookshop format keeps it intimate. Doors open just before 7pm, the music starts shortly after, and you bring your own refreshments, which suits Cowes nicely when you want something more memorable than a standard Thursday evening. Jeffs is best known for Storyland and Wild; here the focus is traditional British ballads reimagined through word, music and Gwen Burns' illustrations. The listing has been marked sold out, but the organiser notes tickets may still be available if the event moves to a larger venue, so it is worth checking before you travel.
Cowes High Street is easy to pair with an early supper if you are coming from Ryde or Newport. For more arts and crafts events on the Isle of Wight or evenings with a literary bent, the Medina Bookshop calendar often has something worth the crossing.