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Category Archives: Festivals
The US and Canada
I’ve been in North America for the last 2 weeks – 2 weeks! – on promotional duties for THE ABSOLUTIST, which will be published in the USA by The Other Press in July but is published in Canada by Doubleday this week.
At the Random House offices in New York
The trip started in New York, where I hosted a lunch for 30 reviewers / bloggers / literary types at the Museum of Modern Art. A great afternoon and fascinating to hear of all the amazing writing websites which are online now. So much brilliant new writing out there.
On to Washington DC then for something similar before making my way to Canada to begin a book tour in Toronto. I’d read at the Authors at the Harbourfront series 2 years ago while promoting The House of Special Purpose. A real delight to be back as it’s a great reading space, where the audience sit around tables drinking rather than in formal theatrical seats.
Toronto: Authors at the Harbourfront
Next up Calgary, my first trip there, for some media interviews and now finally to Vancouver for more media and the festival of international writers. I’ll be reading this coming Wednesday night before heading home – at last! – before the weekend.
Canadian Edition
US Edition
German Book Tour
I’ve spent the last week in Germany to promote the German language editions of THE ABSOLUTIST (Das Spate Gestandis des Tristan Sadler) and NOAH BARLEYWATER RUNS AWAY (Der Junge Mit Dem Herz Aus Holz), both of which were published here this month.
First stop was the Leipzig Book Fair, then my 2nd trip to the Cologne Literary Festival and a stay at the amazing Wasserturm hotel – an old water tower – followed by readings in Bonn and Freising, near Munich.
Galle Literary Festival
First post of 2012! And the first festival of the year too. To Galle, in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, for the 6th annual Galle Literary Festival. Leaving aside the beauty of the environment and the friendliness of the people this has been a wonderful festival to kick off the year.
I did 4 events here, one reading from The Absolutist at the Paddy Fields, one reading from Mutiny On The Bounty at Mama’s Rooftop Cafe, one discussing The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas at Hall de Galle and finally to the children’s programme for Noah Barleywater Runs Away.
4 days of sunshine, enthusiastic crowds and great writers – among them Tom Stoppard, DBC Pierre, Joanna Trollope, Richard Dawkins.
Antwerp
Backstage at Antwerp with my interviewer before the 2nd leg of the Crossing Border festival. I was speaking about DE WITTE VEER / THE ABSOLUTIST.
Crossing Border Festival
Another weekend, another trip. This time to Holland and Belgium for the Crossing Border festival, a neat little fest that zips between The Hague one night and Antwerp the next. Writers and musicians gather, do their thing, then shuttle off together to the next city
Istanbul Book Fair
Hello blog readers! So here I am in Istanbul, Turkey, for the annual Istanbul Book Fair. I’ve never been to Turkey before so it’s a real treat to get to visit, courtesy of my Turkish children’s publisher Tudem, who publish ‘Boy’ and ‘Noah’. (‘The House of Special Purpose is also available in Turkish, courtesy of Dogan publishing house.)
Book fairs are a funny business. Very different from literary festivals, where I get to hang out with readers and writers all the time. At book fairs, you spend a long time at the publishing stand signing books and doing interviews, which is all very well, but you also get to run around the (massive) halls and look at the jackets for books and authors you like in their foreign translations. I’m fascinated by jacket design so this is always fun.
More from the Helsinki Book Fair
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- With my Finnish translator Laura Buck
Helsinki Book Fair
I’m in Helsinki for the next few days, courtesy of my Finnish publisher Bazar, to attend the Helsinki Book Fair where I will be giving interviews, readings and doing various bits of promotion for the recently published TARKOIN VARTIOITU TALO (The House of Special Purpose) and NOOA NOTKONIITTY KARKAA KOTOA (Noah Barleywater Runs Away).
If you happen to be in Helsinki and would like to hear one of the readings, public interviews or just get your book signed, check out the times on the website.
The Big Blog Story
Twenty children’s authors who are taking part in this year’s Bath Festival of Children’s Literature are also taking part in an ongoing story project which moves from blog to blog – or rather has been moving from blog to blog – for the last week or two, with each author continuing the story as it travels. It’s my turn today so you can catch up on the entire story by clicking the links below, then read my contribution that follows it:
Part 2 by The Etherington Brothers
Part 4 by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
And now, here’s part 10, written by me!
CHAPTER 10
What is it? Scribble scribbled on his pad and Mr Catch, the legendary fisherman, stepped away and pointed Scribble in the direction of the periscope.
‘Take a look,’ he said.
Scribble pressed his eye to the viewfinder and stared into the depths of ocean, waiting until his eyes adjusted to the dark blues and greens swirling before him. In the distance he could see a pale white light stretching from as far to the left as he could see, to as far to the right, where shoals of fish were swimming towards it, disappearing in the distance.
Is that it? Scribble wrote in his pad.
‘Is that what?’ asked Mr Catch.
The moon.
‘I think it might be.’
It’s closer than I expected.
‘That’s only because of the way the light is dispersing through the water,’ explained Mr Catch. ‘Why, it could take us hours to reach it. Even days. Well, maybe not days. But a long time anyway.’
Scribble wrote nothing now and stared out at the whiteness in the distance. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt an extraordinary need to get close to it as quickly as possible. Where had this all come from? He had never thought much about the moon until recently and now, it was all he thought about. He stepped away and felt his heart start to beat a little slower in his chest; he stepped back, looking at the distant moon again, and it returned to its regular beat. He felt that it was calling out to him somehow, as if it knew that he was the only person who could save it.
‘Scribble!’ cried Mr Catch suddenly and Scribble turned around in surprise for he hadn’t heard the legendary fisherman sound quite so startled in all their adventures so far. He didn’t bother reaching for his pad, he just shrugged his shoulders as if to say What?
‘Scribble, look!’ said Mr Catch, pointing at the submarine’s floor and to his astonishment there was a sprinkling of blue fur scattered around his feet. He shook his head in surprise, for it was exactly the same colour and texture as his own blue fur, but as he did so, more and more started to appear beneath him.
‘It’s coming from you,’ said Mr Catch. ‘Scribble, you’re shedding your fur!’
The next part of the story will appear on Wednesday September 28th on Catherine Bruton’s blog.
Amsterdam Manuscripta
I’ve been in Amsterdam for the last few days promoting the Dutch language version of THE ABSOLUTIST, published in Holland and Belgium by Boekerij as DE WITTE VEER (‘The White Feather’).
Alongside the interviews, I took part in Manuscripta, an annual book festival that celebrates the launch of a new book season in Holland.
