“To: Court, Louise (@randomhouse)
From: katarina@katarinabivald.se
Subject: Re: February Tour – Itinerary

Dear Louise,

The itinerary looks great, and I’m really looking forward to finally meeting you! However, I do have a slight problem. Is it possible to send books to your office by post during my travel, and then collect them in London before flying back to Sweden?

Yours,
Katarina”

Ten minutes earlier:
Me, sitting in the sofa, reading Mansfield Park, to my sister, sitting next to me with her embroidery: “I’ll really have to travel lightly with all those buses and train rides.”
My sister: “Mhm?”
Me: “Yes, but I think it will be quite fun, actually. I’ll have to plan the packing, not just throwing as many clothes as I can fit in to the suitcase, but selecting a few sweaters and jeans, making sure everything matches…. keeping everything down to a minimum, you know.”
My sister, barely looking up from her embroidery, the “s” in Art sucks that she was currently working on: “But what are you going to do about the books?”
Me: “…”

So my new plan:
– Send books ahead by post
– Possibly ship them to Sweden, or
– Buy new suitcase in London for them (note: 23 kg)
– Introduce strict one book-rule: even if shipping the books, I am going to have to enforce some sort of limitation.

One book per bookshop. It’s going to be fine. Really. Maybe even fun. A sort of creative handicap.

Absolutely no problem.