It’s a privilege, especially in the current economic climate, to have two enjoyable jobs, but one of the drawbacks of my good fortune is that I don’t get enough time to devote to writing, let alone to all the ancillary activities of a writer’s life. Talks at libraries, for instance, have to be rationed, and usually I can only appear at events within a reasonable drive from work – though on one happy occasion some years ago, I took a couple of days off and flew over to Jersey to give a talk in the library at St Helier.
Last week, though, I had the pleasure of being invited by Rochdale Libraries to speak at the recently refurbished Darnhill Library. I’d never been to Darnhill before, and it would be fair to say that it doesn’t have the atmosphere of a millionaires’ playground, but the library is a very pleasant place, and the staff were extremely well-organised and hospitable. It is the sort of library that must play an important part in the life of the local community, and I do think it’s vital that necessary spending cuts don’t have the effect of undermining a facility that is so plainly a force for social cohesion.
The audience was large and responsive - people had come from quite a wide area, which really is a tribute to the way in which the librarians had publicised the event rather than to the speaker - so often in life, it seems to me, good marketing makes a huge difference. My talk was about my crime writing career as a whole, and there were more than enough questions to fill in the allotted ninety minutes. As I was speaking, there was thunder and lightning outside, and the effect was quite dramatic. But we were not, in the end, marooned in Darnhill Library for the night, although I’m sure we’d have been well looked after had the worst happened!
I do enjoy the chance to meet readers and potential readers at such events, and libraries are always welcoming venues. This year already, I’ve spoken at libraries in Derby, Wirral, Nottingham, Middlesbrough, Flintshire, and now Lancashire. Great fun. What’s more I have one or two more library talks lined up for the autumn – quite a bit to look forward to after the holiday season.
Sunday, 18 July 2010
A Visit to Darnhill
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6 comments:
Martin - Sounds as though you had a great experience; that's terrific.
Lovely to hear your enthusiasm for library talks as I prepare for my first, at Newcastle City Library on 27th of the month.
Very reassuring!
I have spoken at our local library once - about British vs American crime fiction - and though there were not exactly many people, it was a great experience.
And I´ll never forget the first time I admitted to the head librarian that I wrote crime fiction and tried to sell my manuscripts. "Perhaps you will come and hold an author night then?" she asked. My, would I like to! :D
Hi Aguja - I am sure you will love giving a talk at Newcastle - one of the most impressive new libraries in the UK, wouldn't you agree? I was there last year and had a really good time. Good luck for your talk!
Hi Dorte - that's the right sort of librarian! And I must say, I've had the pleasure of meeting many librarians who are truly delightful.
I think you're right about promo for these kinds of events being so important--and I think the most successful type of promo I've seen libraries do is when librarians mention events to their patrons. Can't beat word of mouth!
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