Darren Shan has recently been putting together details of his early author tours and events – and they make fascinating reading. You can see them here.
Some of Darren’s experiences in his early days reminded me of when I was running events to promote my non-fiction books back in 2001 and 2002. These range from being kicked out of a bookshop in Staines for causing so much mayhem with a school class to turning up at a shop in Brighton to discover they had no idea I was coming (when I asked the manager what he expected me to do, he suggested I approach random kids browsing in the children’s section and introduce myself! Somehow, he didn’t see my point when I suggested I could easily be arrested for following his advice! It’s the only author event I’ve ever walked out of).
My favourite events were those I ran at Books Etc. in Whiteley’s Shopping Centre, Bayswater (see pictures). Through RIF (Reading is Fundamental – part of the National Literacy Trust) I met with a school class at a time to share some of the more boisterous activities from my boredom beating books. Great fun!
Let’s hope the Scream Street events prove to be just as enjoyable!
Tommy
