Book & Film Club – I Swear

Each month we take a book that has an interesting film adaptation and spend the evening comparing the two. The ticket price includes a copy of the book (which can be collected from our Abergavenny bookshop once you’ve booked your place) and the film screening

The book
I Swear by John Davidson is a sharp, emotionally grounded novel about friendship, loyalty, and the small moments that shape who we become. Set against the backdrop of working-class life, the book explores masculinity, moral compromise, and the unspoken bonds between men, balancing warmth and humour with an undercurrent of regret and reckoning.

The film
Directed by Kirk Jones, the film adaptation of I Swear brings Davidson’s story to the screen with a focus on character and atmosphere. The film captures the intimacy of the friendships at its centre while expanding the emotional stakes through performance and visual storytelling. Thoughtful and quietly affecting, it reflects on how promises made in youth echo through adulthood, and how memory and responsibility intertwine over time.