The Booktrailer goes to Harrogate
Who else has only just recovered from the whirlwind that was Harrogate? It was quite a weekend.
Where else can you meet loads of people, writers, bloggers, publicists etc that you have spoken to via email for years yet when you stand right beside them, you don’t recognise them and then spend the rest of the festival forgetting their name and indeed your own.
At first when I sat down to write this, I didn’t think I can pick out any highlights. But that’s a lie, I can. Meeting so many of my favourite writers in one space, sitting on the grass lawn and chatting to them all, mingling with the lovely Dead Good team and welcoming the North/South footballing team home after a very hot and frantic match.
Meeting so many lovely bloggers too – people I feel who are best friends despite the fact I’d never actually met some of them until Harrogate. They were even lovelier in real life that I ever could have imagined? Anne Cater, Liz Loves Books, Janet Emson…the list is endless and I’m so scared of missing one person out so I’ve leave it there. Book bloggers rock!
Emms Rachel, Margaret Madden, me
Anne Cater and her cool shades
You are all fantastic and I only wish I’d taken more pictures but I was that busy talking and laughing that I forgot! There were many funny moments luckily not caught on camera such as the moment I nearly fell down the sloping grass verge and pulled Steven Dunne down with me. Think he pushed me to be honest. I’ve read his novels, I know his mind… He and Nick Quantrill have to be two of the funniest men..they should really be on the stage. Mark Billingham I think needs to expand his comedy and musical team with these two.
Spot Mark Billingham and his cool hat (c) Theakstons crime
If writers were rock stars, this was the festival which really should have its own soundtrack. Seeing Val Mcdermid at the bar, Martina Cole getting out of a posh black car and writers dressed as footballers after their game, this was rock star royalty. There were tee-shirts and bags and even mugs but all I wanted were the books. My arms are now twice as long as they were having carried them all home.Did have a case with wheels but the wheels have now been swallowed in to the case itself. Haha totally worth it. Top tip – bring a cheap suitcase like I did 😉
Top tips – enjoy the icecream and the barbecue on site. And the free water – I think I may have drunk most of it since I’m a Northerner and didn’t realise just how hot the shiny thing in the sky actually was. Take care not to bruise your knees and any other part of your body whilst trying to get into the giant grass chairs for a photo op, and careful when you pass the lifts as you really don’t want to go bumping into a crime writer such as Sophie Hannah – they might ‘bump you off in their next novel in pay back.
It was particularly lovely to spot new faces in the crowd – Alex Caan whose novel I still have on the TBR pile came over and said hello as did Chris Whittaker who Liz from Liz Loves Books has championed for a while and so I just had to meet him. And get his book obviously. I may have also accosted Joseph Knox at the bar when Anne Cater and I were buying coffees (well it was midday) and I not only got a coffee but a book as well! Read it home on the train Joseph. Gritty and packs a good punch! (the book not Justin)
The chills and spills even followed me to the station. Guarding the Peter James poster with a scary death stare: This little creature who I’ve nick named PJ in honour of the man himself.
And as the train pulls away, the image of a hot and heavy Harrogate fades into the distance but this booktrailer will be back. It would be a crime not to.
(A huge thanks has to go to everyone who took part and the lovely staff at the bar and the barbecue who totally got into the spirit of the event and chatted books! )
Susan Booktrailer
