READING AT WATERSTONES WITH ALISON MACLEOD

Fab evening yesterday. As part of the World Book Day celebrations (or on the eve of it, World Book Day is TODAY, link HERE) Alison MacLeod and I read at Waterstone’s Brighton.
Find out about Alison and her novels, and short story collection HERE
Waterstone's bookshop made a lovely venue, they use the space normally inhabited by their coffee bar on the third floor, set out into an intimate and perfect reading arena. We had lovely squashy leather chairs, our books were beautifully set out on a coffee table, and the audience sat in a semi circle round us.

I met Alison for coffee beforehand and we planned who was going to do what, as well as nattered about our writing, and my Salt book for which Alison is writing a chapter - ( her chapter provisionally: Taboo and Tension in the Short Story… can’t wait!).

I read first, The Carob Tree from my collection Words from a Glass Bubble. Guaranteed to bring a lump to my throat, even now. So I followed it up with a daft flash entitled Barry Island Double Glazing, hamming up the accent something chronic and getting lots of laughs.

Alison read from Fifteen Tales of Modern Attraction Amazon Link HERE, choosing a story set in a riot in Ikea (fact… the riot happened a few years back...) and has everyone on the edge of their seats as a heavily pregnant shopper had an interesting time.

Lovely to see people I knew in the audience, Jac and James who have joined The Fiction Workhouse recently. Elizabeth Rutherford-Johnson and her husband Tim down from Lunnon, and intrepid follower of this blog and others, faithful supporter of Salt Publishing and the short story form, Pierre L. All the way from Reading.(Good to meet you Pierre! Thank you so much for coming.) And last but by no means least, another contributor to the Salt book, the lovely Sarah Salway. Find her HERE.

But especially lovely to meet Sue Roe again. Sue taught me for one term in 2002, was my very first Creative Writing tutor. It was extra nice to be able to sign a book for her… that was very special. (See her latest book HERE…reviewed on Vulpes Libris– The Private Lives of the Impressionists.)

Big thanks to Sara Crowley– who blogs HERE. She works at Waterstone’s, is a great champion of the short story form, and a talented writing friend too.

Signed a few books, then a bunch of us went off for supper. It was a pleasure to meet novelist Jeff Noon, and to share a tapas meal. He doesn’t like squid, but does like prawns so that was OK. This morning I have bought his Falling Out Of Cars. Jeff Noon HERE on Wikipedia… I must get out more.