So the day is finally here. Reading the World: Confessions of a Literary Explorer is published and on sale through all major e-tailers and retailers, as well as some fantastic independent bookshops too. We did it!
Last night I celebrated the event with friends, family, colleagues, fellow book lovers and some of the many people who helped the project on its way at the Free Word Centre in Farringdon. You can see me speaking in the photo above, which was taken by the writer Martin Goodman – one of a number of a number of authors who were there, including Hamid Ismailov, whose book The Railway was my pick for Uzbekistan. I’m not quite sure what I was saying at this point, but it was probably some kind of thank you (there were a lot of those).
It was a joy to see so many people who were important to me and to the project in the same room, but I was particularly delighted by the fact that four of the volunteers who translated a book for me to read from São Tomé and Príncipe were there. You can see us together in the picture below (from left: Clare Keats, Margaret Jull Costa, me, Yema Ferreira and Robin Patterson). It was the first time I had met three of them in person, so it was a very special moment.
I was also really pleased to be able to reflect the international theme of the book in other ways. It was wonderful that the team from Belgravia Books (the home of French-literature-in-translation publisher Gallic Books) were there to sell copies of Reading the World. I signed a couple for them to take back to the shop, so if you’re passing through Victoria in the next few days you might be able to pick one up if you pop in.
And when it came to the drinks, we had wine from four different countries – Slovenia, Romania, Uruguay and Greece – which was provided by The Wine Pack (@thewinepack if you want to get their tips on Twitter). They’d even made bookmarks with tasting notes and details of which book I’d read from each nation represented.
There were so many wonderful things about the party. I could write for ages about the pleasure of introducing people who I knew shared common interests, reading my work aloud and seeing old friends.
Unfortunately, however, I’ve got to dash. I’m about to head off into town again – this time to BBC Broadcasting House to record a discussion about Reading the World and translation for Radio Four’s show Open Book. Wish me luck!
Pictures by Martin Goodman and Steve Lennon
Congratulations! I have just ordered my copy. Good luck with the promotion. I am sure a lot of readers will take to it. It is a very special project.
Wonderful – thank you
Sounds like a lovely, imaginative launch, Ann, and it’s also great to hear you’ll be flying the translation flag(s) on Open Book – do you know when?
Thank you. Yes, I had a lovely discussion with Mariella and Maureen Freely – translator of Orhan Pamuk and president of English PEN. The show will be broadcast this Sunday (February 8) at 4pm (UK time) and repeated the following Thursday.
So pleased! Enjoy!
Thank you – I really am!
Congratulations! wishing you every success. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!
Congrats! I can’t wait to read it 🙂
Thank you!
What a wonderful accomplishment. Congratulations!
Thanks Sam!
Nice work! Congratulations. What an inspiring project.
Thanks very much
Congrats! I came with a friend, but was too shy to introduce myself (sorry 😉 ). Was lovely to hear you read the beginnings of the book… now I have to try and find that book your persistent commenter kept pushing!
Ah – thanks so much. I wish I had met you! Hopefully another time (definitely say hello if you see me again!).
congratulations!
Thanks!
What an accomplishment! Enjoy!
“Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get”
― W.P. Kinsella
Thanks Johanna
Congratulations. I have loved your project and am so excited about the book. Off to order one for myself and one for my best reading friend.
Thanks very much Cathryn. I hope you enjoy it
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