World Book Day – a thank you
World Book Day is special for so many reasons. It’s a day for dressing up as your favourite fictional character if you’re a child or a kid at heart, and a day to celebrate books, reading, bookshops and libraries what ever age you are.
A few things I’m grateful for this World Book Day
UK Blog Awards
Being a finalist in the UK Blog Awards has allowed this site to grow and reach even more people than before. More author are sending in booktrails and more readers are finding books they can fall in love with, and then explore that book via the booktrail map. I’m getting lots of messages saying that people find it fun to discover books set close to where they live as well as finding a new journey to make via a new book!
I mean it’s very exciting to go to Hogwarts (Durham Cathedral and Alnwick Castle) as a child and an adult and to visit Fjallbacka despite Camilla Lackberg having killed off many of its (fictional!) residents. I feel I really know Brighton well thanks to Peter James and Northumberland thanks to Mari Hannah. Carsely in the Cotswolds is fictional but thanks to MC Beaton I would love to visit! It’s like finding Narnia for real every day. And lovely people are sending in kind messages about their discoveries which makes me smile.
Quick Reads
A campaign which published 6 books costing only £1 in February. Six books for reluctant readers or for those who just want a literary snack rather than a full on feast. Top stories by well known authors that you can polish off in your lunch hour and discover an author you’ve maybe not met yet. Being well known authors, there’s then the treat of having even more books to discover so this Quick Read could well be the first stop on your next or first reading journey.
I value such reading schemes and ways of encouraging people to read so this really works well for me and I always make a point of reading the titles despite that I eat the equivalent of an all you can eat book buffet most days. These little snacks are just what you need sometimes and are very satisfying.
Literary Events
There seems to be more and more literary events happening at the moment. Granite Noir kicked off the first Aberdeen crime writing festival this year and later in April, Newcastle Noir brings the best of crime fiction to the North East. There’s Edinburgh, Crime Fest in Bristol, Harrogate to name but a few and there are more and more events all the time. Read Regional held in conjunction with New Writing North in the North East is just one example of bringing more authors to local libraries to meet readers. They’re impersonal and chatty evenings to meet other book lovers and to meet the creators of such amazing imaginary worlds. I still pinch myself that I’ve met Vera, Tom Thorne, Kate Daniels, Harry Potter and Kate Shackleton – well their writers but it’s near enough!
The Historical Writers Awards
I was honoured to be asked to sit on the throne, I mean panel, for the Historical Writing Awards this year. Along with three other judges, I will be selecting the short list and then the winner of the Debut Crown . A debut novel published any time since January 2016. I’ve had many many books sent so far that I’ve lost count but I’m steadily reading them all and reviewing every single on the Booktrail nearer the time. I am a huge book lover and avid reader but these awards even allow me to discover new authors and titles I might not have come across otherwise. So having book awards really does help bring people and books together and being involved in the judging process is like letting a child run free in a sweet shop….
Libraries and bookshops
The book community is a lively and fun place to be with the many bloggers who tirelessly read and review books for free. They do it for the love of it and help so many people get books out there – word of mouth on twitter is a great way to pick out a book and see what’s coming up. Reading blogs is like talking to your best friend and getting a good recommendation via word of mouth.
Popping in to a library is also something I enjoy doing. It’s the space to sit and relax and spend time with books – it shouldn’t be expensive if you love books as reading can relax you, help you to escape and be a place to meet a friend for a coffee and to join a book group. There are many author events at libraries now too to get involved with.
Finally – independent bookshops – where would we be without them – book havens with people who love books and KNOW books and who take time to get to know the people who come into their shop looking for their next read. Sometimes the choice can feel overwhelming but advice from the indies can be invaluable. Forget trends, literary types or even teachers who tell you what you should be reading. Reading is fun – read what you like – as a translator the best advice I was given was to ‘read everything and anything from Shakespeare to the back of a milk carton” You know that rhyme Dance like no one is watching? Read like no one else cares…
I love travelling with books, via books and immersing myself in new worlds and cultures. The worlds they open up!
Enjoy what ever you’re doing this World Book Day!
