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Sunday, May 27, 2007
They also serve who only stand and wait . . Though this was said about a far more serious issue, it's very much in my mind today.
I'm soon to go down to Hay Festival to help in a small way with an event. Is it me or is the media a-buzz about lit-fests just now? Plus I've also just minded author MALCOLM ROSE on a day of visiting, when he talked to schools about thrillers and horror and mystery and forensic chemistry while smiling most charmingly. If you're thinking of someone who has the strange wild wierdness of Stephen King, Malcolm ain't it. Or so it seems . . . But I did make sure I delivered him off at York station before dark . . .
Anyway, all this practical stuff has reminded me to give a GREAT CHEER for all those who serve such events: the bookshops owners & assistants who carry in the back-breaking boxes and count out the books and count them in again, and carry the boxes some more, and deal with the publishers, and check the money, and all of it with a smile on their faces, and not much going into their bank-balances. Sometimes that smile seems a little weary and worldly-wise, as if they feel they are definitely in the un-glam end of the trade, but HOORAY A ZILLION FOR YOU ALL!
Especially Karen down south & Linda up north. You know who you are!
I'm soon to go down to Hay Festival to help in a small way with an event. Is it me or is the media a-buzz about lit-fests just now? Plus I've also just minded author MALCOLM ROSE on a day of visiting, when he talked to schools about thrillers and horror and mystery and forensic chemistry while smiling most charmingly. If you're thinking of someone who has the strange wild wierdness of Stephen King, Malcolm ain't it. Or so it seems . . . But I did make sure I delivered him off at York station before dark . . .
Anyway, all this practical stuff has reminded me to give a GREAT CHEER for all those who serve such events: the bookshops owners & assistants who carry in the back-breaking boxes and count out the books and count them in again, and carry the boxes some more, and deal with the publishers, and check the money, and all of it with a smile on their faces, and not much going into their bank-balances. Sometimes that smile seems a little weary and worldly-wise, as if they feel they are definitely in the un-glam end of the trade, but HOORAY A ZILLION FOR YOU ALL!
Especially Karen down south & Linda up north. You know who you are!
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Are you still there, reader? Sorry for the long blogging gaps at the moment.
A moment from this week - sometime on Thursday night I had a nightmare. I dreamed I was doing a session, and the book I was reading from - my own new book, THE THIRD ELEPHANT - had the wrong pages. The text on the pages was actually the wording from a much earlier draft, full of my own questions to myself such as "Does this make sense??? Check what was in earlier incident!! Asap!!! Think name???" and similar commands - and all there in the font used in the finished book. Slept on with resigned despair over this huge error. But, happily, when I finally plucked up my courage and looked through the pages by daylight, all was well. Relief!!!!
Maybe it was just the result of too much passion fruit pavlova at the delightful ALDBOURNE CHILDREN'S BOOK GROUP, who had kindly hosted a family session for me. Great fun, even on a dampish day. Thank you! Friday was a nicely busy day at STUDLEY GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL, Trowbridge, so hello to you all there. And Saturday was a fun Community Reading Event in WARMINSTER LAKESIDE PARK , both with and without showers. Thanks to Geoff and all the Warminster Garrison Reading Group, and to THE WELLWISHER BOOKSHOP, who helped with my mini-tour.
Almost forgot last Tuesday night, when I was by the lake at EAST RIDDLESDEN HALL beside a vintage Bentley, posing for pics with the prizes winners of the AIREDALE WRITERS CIRCLE Annual Young Writers Competition. What a great effort by the AWC, and an excellent way of encouraging children to become writers! Congratulations!
Must go. I am hoping the week ahead may be calmer! And there is definite aroma of hot baked potato calling from the kitchen. Yum!
A moment from this week - sometime on Thursday night I had a nightmare. I dreamed I was doing a session, and the book I was reading from - my own new book, THE THIRD ELEPHANT - had the wrong pages. The text on the pages was actually the wording from a much earlier draft, full of my own questions to myself such as "Does this make sense??? Check what was in earlier incident!! Asap!!! Think name???" and similar commands - and all there in the font used in the finished book. Slept on with resigned despair over this huge error. But, happily, when I finally plucked up my courage and looked through the pages by daylight, all was well. Relief!!!!
Maybe it was just the result of too much passion fruit pavlova at the delightful ALDBOURNE CHILDREN'S BOOK GROUP, who had kindly hosted a family session for me. Great fun, even on a dampish day. Thank you! Friday was a nicely busy day at STUDLEY GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL, Trowbridge, so hello to you all there. And Saturday was a fun Community Reading Event in WARMINSTER LAKESIDE PARK , both with and without showers. Thanks to Geoff and all the Warminster Garrison Reading Group, and to THE WELLWISHER BOOKSHOP, who helped with my mini-tour.
Almost forgot last Tuesday night, when I was by the lake at EAST RIDDLESDEN HALL beside a vintage Bentley, posing for pics with the prizes winners of the AIREDALE WRITERS CIRCLE Annual Young Writers Competition. What a great effort by the AWC, and an excellent way of encouraging children to become writers! Congratulations!
Must go. I am hoping the week ahead may be calmer! And there is definite aroma of hot baked potato calling from the kitchen. Yum!
