Well, at the risk of reinforcing horrid northern stereotypes, I can report that I fled a freezing Manc on Tuesday and was whisked in only two hours to the comparatively balmy world of London and the urbanity of Treadwell's bookshop in Covent Garden, where fabulous Baroque in Hackney blogger Katy Evans-Bush was launching her keenly awaited Salt book of elegant, witty and moving poems.The room downstairs was packed, and Katy was kept busy signing all night long, though she took a few minutes out to stand on a chair (the only way we could see her) and read two poems (just two - when we could have gone on listening!).
I took photos - and seemed to be the only one doing so - but most of them came out blurred, maybe because I was temporarily (I hope!) brain damaged: I had met friends in Wahacas for a meal beforehand, and coming out of the loo I stepped down a step without knowing it was a step and rattled my brain so hard inside my skull that I felt it knock and was utterly dazed for a few seconds. That's my excuse, anyway. Or, no, actually, Katy does move a lot!
Here she is reading:
And signing:
I had a great evening and was delighted to meet for the first time fellow-blogger, Little Monsters author and now Salt short-story author Charles Lambert. Here he is with Salt poet Isobel Dixon (who has her back to the camera):
And I was equally pleased to meet literary blogger Tim Love, that indefatigable reviewer of short stories.
Me and the Dead is a great book: buy it.
4 comments:
Thanks Elizabeth! I'm coming back down to earth now and loved reading this. (In fact, I see my word verification is "loevd" - I MUST have loevd it!)
I did see you with your camera, for which many thanks - the person who was meant to be the photographer got stuck in traffic! And a couple of other people took the odd picture which I'm waiting to see...
And I hope your poor head is all right.
I loevd the launch, Katy - and am loeving the book!
It was excellent to meet you too, Elizabeth! And thank you for capturing me in full, somewhat drunken, flow and then publishing the result (I think). It can't compare with your brain rattling experience (and I second Katy's hope that you're all right now) but I was coasting on espresso and champagne-fuelled second wind after getting up obscenely early and flying over with Ryanair that very morning - where a Polish steward, in response to my query about what kind of sandwiches he had, rolled his eyes heavenwards and sighed.
Hah, the Rynair experience, Charles - no wonder if your brain felt rattled! Hope the champagne made up for it. Mind you, you seemed pretty unrattled and sober to me!
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