Launch Cakes
My previous launches have been in bookshops. The first, after my novel won the Kathleen Fidler award in 1995, was the most glamorous. Hodmandod Senior and I were flown up to Glasgow (the second time I'd ever been on a plane), put up in a swanky hotel, taken out to dinner with my editor, Emma Matthewson (soon to be editing a rather more famous series of books about a boy wizard), and Theresa Breslin (who had just won the Carnegie medal and was a previous recipient of the award), and then taken to a bookshop which seemed to be filled with piles of my books (it wasn't, but that's how it seemed). There was also a big iced fruit cake, and I was allowed to take that back with me on the plane back home.
My adult novels, with another publisher, I arranged myself in the local Borders. Unfortunately no one from my publisher was able to attend, but then I asked the local sales rep to come and he was great - as were the staff at Borders. They served wine and bought and sold a large number of my books. Keeping up the tradition of cake-making I made 2 cakes for the Wegener launch (one depicting Pangaea, the other the continents now)
and for my 98 Reasons one I just did a cake with Struwwelpeter on the top.
I read a little out and so did some of my friends for me, and all went well.
Alas, there is no Borders now, and our local branch of Waterstones is so small it finds it difficult to staff its shop after hours. They are also more cautious with the number of books they wish to stock - no doubt a sign of the times. So after some searching and thinking I have come across the old theatre in Chester. The main part of the theatre has been dismantled but the studio and bar have been renovated, so my publisher, Seren, is hiring that for the evening. I am presenting my films and giving a few short readings in the theatre, and then will be serving canapes, wine and a cake in the bar upstairs. The cake is yet to be finished. It has been marzipanned but the crucial decorating stage is to come, but when it is, I shall, of course, be presenting the result here.
My adult novels, with another publisher, I arranged myself in the local Borders. Unfortunately no one from my publisher was able to attend, but then I asked the local sales rep to come and he was great - as were the staff at Borders. They served wine and bought and sold a large number of my books. Keeping up the tradition of cake-making I made 2 cakes for the Wegener launch (one depicting Pangaea, the other the continents now)
and for my 98 Reasons one I just did a cake with Struwwelpeter on the top.
I read a little out and so did some of my friends for me, and all went well.
Alas, there is no Borders now, and our local branch of Waterstones is so small it finds it difficult to staff its shop after hours. They are also more cautious with the number of books they wish to stock - no doubt a sign of the times. So after some searching and thinking I have come across the old theatre in Chester. The main part of the theatre has been dismantled but the studio and bar have been renovated, so my publisher, Seren, is hiring that for the evening. I am presenting my films and giving a few short readings in the theatre, and then will be serving canapes, wine and a cake in the bar upstairs. The cake is yet to be finished. It has been marzipanned but the crucial decorating stage is to come, but when it is, I shall, of course, be presenting the result here.
posted by Clare Dudman at 8:37 am
4 Comments:
Sounds perfect!
:-) Just hoping it's not a complete disaster, Sue.
Though I cannot attend your launch and partake of the yummy looking cake, I will be thinking of you this weekend as I read A Place of Meadows and Tall Trees. It arrived from Amazon today!
Hope the launch is a huge success!
Oooh it is so exciting that you have managed to get my book so far away! Thank you so much, Anne.
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