Wednesday 6 April 2011

The Sundance worked...

We had sunshine! Compare today to yesterday and it seems a totally different season, let the glorious weather continue!

I'm mid-week, halfway through my lit fest experience. It's gone to quick! My first event of the day was interesting. I sat there listening and laughing because I could hear was the dramatic O Fortuna (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FBz5gRFOY8&feature=related) through the thick wooden doors. The event was Bruce Hood which is linked below. Supersenses is white book, very white. Sounds an interesting read if you like things that go deep into discussion and debate, this one being about Superstition to Religion. An event focused on Ghosts, I guess now you can understand why the music was suitable! Ghosts discussions at the lit fest, will next year be about vampires? WHAT'S THAT MOVING BEYIND YOU, AH!

Back in the Marquee we had Colin Dexter and Veronica Stallwood, they had a nice little queue going for that with lots of dedicated Crime writing fans. Apparently Mark Billingham (who I funnily enough didn't see signing...) was hilarious according to a friend who went to the event. So I guess that's another *Author Thumbs Up* from me. Later I saw John Julius Norwich the author of The Popes, signing lots of his heavy hardbacks. Crowds everywhere and just our luck it was at that point the card machine signals decided to play up. But all was well in the end.

Second event of the day at Room 2 was Philip Gross. I wasn't able to have a good ol' chat with him I'm afraid. It attracted a nice audience who were transfixed by his poems which is exactly what an author wants to hear.

The biggest event for me today was Katherine Swift and due to the heat in the room, the door got left open, so I heard it all (well most of it, sometimes I couldn't hear some words). Felicity Bryan her agent introduced her in a semi talk discussion event where every so often she would ask a question, to give the event shape but at the same time this intimate feel. Katherine went on to say how when she had her big phonecall to tell her Bloomsbury was interested in her manuscript, she was in the bath and had to spend the whole time long trying not to splash, bless her! The books have lovely front covers, of these idyllic scenes. Beautiful. She did a reading from her latest book Mornville Year, which is a diary style writing done through the seasons talking about flowers in a lyrical manner, a perfect read for budding gardners and processionals the same.

I think one of the most eventful moments of the day had to be when we sold out on Mornville Hours and a lady really wanted to purchase a copy signed. We had two copies of it in the bookshop but not in the marquee. Whilst trying to sort the problem out when talking to Katherine it turned out she was around in the author room for 30mins-1hour after the event. So I took the lovely lady's money and ran all the way from Christ Church to Broad Street. I felt like I was a book-superwoman, saving the world one book at a time. I then ran back, doing the whole thing in around 15 minutes. I ran panting into the author room and waited awkwardly to interrupt Katherine's discussion to get her to sign the books. So there I was sweating away, hair looking a mess, standing in a beautiful green room, with this dainty little furniture surround by all the authors of the day/week drinking cups of tea. Embarrassing. But at the same time, if this experience hadn't have happened, my little bookseller feet would not have entered the threshold of the glorious author building so at least there's that to it. Katherine was really nice and even signed extra stock for the marquee, so get there quick and grab one!

So that was day 3, tomorrow it all starts again AND I'm working my longest shift, so even more to report. May have more snaps tomorrow, will keep you updated. In the meantime, happy reading and may the book live forever.












The books

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