Notes from the chair

Posted by Simon on 5th, June 2011 at 09:23:29

So them, this chairing a Reader's Day for the first time...

Well, firstly it's plenty of work!  I felt like a father / shepherd / performer all at once, and that's a fair bit for my little brain to cope with.  There's the research on the seven other authors, gathering up the audience, keeping things to time, making sure the writers are happy, everyone can hear/see/knows what's going on next, thinking of decent questions to ask, and lots lots more besides...

However, given all that, I think from the feedback it went well, which is a mighty relief!  We were certainly blessed with some fascinating writers.  For me, one of the most interesting things was the extraordinary variety in the way people write.

Some get up at 6 in the morning, others don't start until after midnight.  Some can set down four thousand words in one sitting, others struggle to get much past four hundred.  And as for the reasons they write, the passions that came through about their characters and periods of history - it was a delight to hear, a real privilege.

So, a big thanks here to the authors and the audience, and not least the organisers, the fine folk of Bournemouth Libraries.  Now I've at last calmed down and got some rest, I can certainly say I enjoyed the day greatly and hope many more follow.

For me, it's next stop the Southern Writers Conference in Chichester at the weekend.  Good job it's a Sunday - best start working on my talk!

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