So Monday the 23rd of April I headed out into the streets of Manchester in order to spread some word joy - some literary love! - basically give people, at random, a free book. Admittedly I was a tad nervous; after being so excited for the best part of two months, I now found myself somewhat hesistant to approach people - just say they proclaimed a seething hatred for books, or shunned me? But then I realised; so what! It's their loss!
With that in mind I started offering my books to people, I got such a wide range of reactions; one person actually yelled 'GO AWAY' at me, like I'd just asked them - knife in hand - for a kidney. I was so shocked, it's a book! Take it! Read it! Love it! After a few too many negative reactions I started to get a bit sad, until, at last, a lovely old lady took a book from me (HOORAY!) she said she wasn't a big reader but she'd have a look and then pass it on to her neighbour! Success! After that the books seemed to fly out of my hands and straight into loving homes I hope!
After a while my friend Ben came to keep me company (and to swindle a book from me) so it was inevitable that we ended up in a pub, this time on business though! I managed to give away five books, to majoritively positively people, which I thought was a raging success, considering! One couple told me when they were leaving that they give away their own books when they've finished reading them. FANTASTIC! Also that they lived, literally, down the road from me; very odd, but fantastic all the same. HURRAH!
Onwards to Waterstones on Deansgate, Manchester for their WBN event, which I must say; I thoroughly enjoyed. Never in my life did I think I'd be drunk in a bookshop, surrounded by authors and fellow book lovers! (Nor have I ever seen my friends move so fast until the words '£1 Shots' were uttered.) Joe Stretch was forced up to the microphone first and read out a poem, either called or about, Rain from 20th Century French Poetry which was beautifully intoxicating. I have endeavoured to find this book ever since and found a copy for 50p! Without sounding like a complete suck up, I must admit that Joe was one of my favourite readers of the night; even if he claimed to hate being up there; he was very comical which helped to bring down the wall between spectator and performer, even when he picked on the audience (that'll teach me to sit on the front row). Other readers that I loved included Sam Mills, Chris Killen, and Simon Savidge who did a lovely reading of 'Rebecca' by Daphne Du Maurier (also the book he was giving out for WBN) that definitely took me back to my second year of uni, unfortunately I cannot recall what prose/poetry they all chose to read. I really should have taken better notes at the event, alas, I too was too busy revelling in beautiful words, cheap alcohol, and a wonderful day.
P.S. Since the big night I have actually received two pictures of the books I handed out! One from Rodge Glass from Glasgow:
And one from Mikaela Balder all the way from Gothenburg in Sweden!
Many thanks to you both for the pictures and I hope there are many more to come!
x
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