Hobbit

Was lucky to go to a Trudi Canavan book signing last night. Well attended: about 100 or so people.

I love watching book signings. What impressed me most was the way that there were young and old, male and female. Some families had travelled from Birmingham to Nottingham for the experience, a distance of about 50 miles.

Some were buying new books, some had brought their collections to sign, some had pristine copies, others had well used and battered favourites.

And Trudi was great, despite a cold: some waited patiently a couple of hours to get books signed. She had a word with each and every one, some a quiet shy one, others an excited squee. And photos.

It was a really nice ‘event’. Made me realise (again!) the power of reading, of sharing, of belonging. People chatted in queues, met old friends, or sat reading Trudi’s latest.

And most of all I was struck by the thought that this is an author who sells genre books, yet you’ll rarely see reviewed with reverence. Her fans are there, and willing to make considerable sacrifice to get there, and yet in the genre often seems to go unnoticed.

Made me think more on the Gemmells. If ever I needed confirmation about why I/we do it, last night did it.