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Saturday 2 March 2013

An evening out


Yesterday evening I interviewed the author of this book in front of a small audience at a nearby literature festival. It's the first time I've ever done an interview on a stage before. I spent about a month reading and re-reading this lovely book, and for the last week I've been learning my questions. I was nervous just before the event, but I need not have worried, because the author, Rachel Joyce, was lovely. She was an actress before she was an author, so she had a great voice, and she did some readings from the book. The interview was held in a large church in nearby Oundle. There were about 80 people in the audience. I think it went smoothly. One old lady told me afterwards that she couldn't hear a word I said ("not a single word!") but we were wearing microphones, so I am not sure why that should be :) 
I would really recommend this book. It's a beautiful, if sad, story, about an unassuming man from Devon who goes out to post a letter to a dying friend one day. Just as he is about to drop his letter into the box, he decides that he will deliver it to her by hand instead, and he sets off to walk to Berwick on Tweed in just the clothes he is standing in. Along the way he meets many people, each with a story to tell, and learns a lot about himself in the process. The descriptions of the landscape and the seasons are sublime. 



I got these gorgeous  tulips as a 'thank you.' 


And this bargain bunch was from the market yesterday. The stall holder seems to throw a bit of everything into his bouquets. 

The new issue of the magazine arrived with a spring like cover. 


Have a lovely weekend.

8 comments:

  1. I have just started listening to this on audio. It is shaping up to be a lovely listen, with one of my favourite actors Jim Broadbent narrating. What more could I ask for?

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    1. That's great. The author mentioned that Jim Broadbent had done the audio and that he was her ideal choice to do it. Enjoy!

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  2. That sounds just my sort of book. I must try to find it and give it a go.

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  3. How interesting....a true professional doing all that studying! :) x

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    1. More like terror that I would run out of questions before the end!

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  4. My eldest son is reading this - he chose it in Brighton's Waterstones on thursday and apart from Lord of the Rings he usually only reads non-fiction so I was pleasantly surprised! I may give it a try after he's finished but I do like happy endings. Your interview sounds fun - you won't mind doing some more now the first one's out the way. Karen x

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    1. Thanks Karen. I can't say too much about the ending or I'd spoil the plot, I'd give it a go. I'm impressed that your son is reading it, good for him. My eldest came to the talk, but I had to tell him the plot on the way as he hadn't had time to read it.

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  5. It sounds a really interesting read. Glad the talk went well.

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