While I should be writing

Publication day: 500 books are, well, a lot

This Thursday, 18th of June, my novel was published in England, and what a glorious day it was too!

It began at the reception of Penguin Random House on Vauxhall Bridge Road, currently decorated in fifty shades of grey. As I was waiting for Louise to come and get me, I overherad one receptionist saying to another: ”Mr Grey’s birthday cake has arrived.”

And then we were off to beautiful and charming Heywood Hill, the very first bookstore I visited on my last trip, and the one that recommended Five Children and It. I sat there and signed some books when David Mitchell came in, charming and polite to a fellow newbie writer. ”Hello there, Fellow writer”, said he, and then proceeded to eat an apple, generiously donated by Heywood Hill.

Next stop was Foyles, this haven for booklovers, where I signed by books next to piles of  David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks. My only regret on this day is that I had finished before he turned up, so I didn’t get a chance to buy a signed copy (obviously I’ll have to return and get one). Jonathan of Foyles spoke enthusiastically about him and his books: Apparantly, according to Jonathan, he has the next four ones thought out, and every book takes approximately four years to write.

”But…” I said, slightly awed, ”that means he has the next 16 years thought out for him? Isn’t that slightly terrifying?” Although my memory of David Mitchell from Heywood Hill did not suggest that he was in any way struggling under the burden of sixteen years of work ahead of him. I might have missunderstood it of course.

I was also a guest of Foyles blog, where I wrote about the curse of being a bisexual book-lover and What I’ve learned from living with my nose in a book.

The afternoon was spent at wonderful Goldsboro Books, signing 500 copies of my book. They’re having it as their Book of the month for July, which is of course absolutely amazing. I have to say I hadn’t really thought about how many books 500 copies actually are.

It was a great sight. A beautiful special edition with dark blue edges on the pages, and piles and piles of books. Sam had only worked at Goldsboro Books for two weeks, but she had already learned the importance of placing herself strategically, most of the time hiding the more terrifying piles so that I could focus on the more managable pile on the desk.

Ps. I did not get tired in my hand, but I have to admit that my own signature (not to mention todays date) started to look very weird after a few hundred books.

How not to write a thank you note to Fannie Flagg

Fannie Flagg has read my book. She has liked it. And she has been kind enough to write a few words about it. My publisher kindly offered to forward any little thank you-note I might want to write to her.

The process of writing a short thank you-note to Fannie Flagg:

Ask all your friends about what to write. Decide firmly on a maximum of one sheet, or one and a half page. Write a draft. Accept two sheets, and four pages. Write a second draft. Buy two different kinds of thick, creamy white writing paper “of exceptional quiality”. Re-write the letter. Try two different envelopes and two different ways of folding it. Worry that the thick, white envelope  looks like a wedding invitation. Worry that it also looks slightly pretentious. Ponder whether the other size really was better. Re-write letter again on different size for comparison. Fold two blank pages in order to find best way of folding it without creasing it. Write To Fannie Flagg on envelope and add letter. Have sudden panic in case you accidently added the two blank pages instead. Double check. Realize that both the envelope and letter are now creased. Accept and send anyway.

All completely normal.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, or Strange and wonderous things in life

When my book was first published in Sweden and I recieved my first printed copy, I carried it with me for days wherever I went. Not as in, if I went away, I brought it with me (although of course I did). More as in, if I went into the kitchen, it followed. If I was reading in bed, it was right there next to me, on the pillow. When I went out on the balcony to smoke, it, too, got some fresh air.

It was a sort of wonder, that something that had previously existed only in my head had now taken physical shape. I guess it’s the equivalent to having imaginary friends when you were little that other people could suddenly see.

And it’s the same with my copy of it in english. In english! I keep thinking: Amy could have read this. It’s such a thing of beauty, too. Not the content, of course, my modesty forbids me to comment on it, but the physical copy. The charmingly delightful cover; the colours, the woman reading, the text: There’s always a person for every book. And a book for every person. And inside; all those yellow dots on a red background, the stacks of books.

The scent of it.

It reminds me about other wondrous things in life. Such as for example: visiting UK bookshops for The Independent Booksellers Week and talking about books (I’m leaving on Wednesday and will for example read for hours in a bookshop window, give book recommendations, talk about my book, sign copies of it for Goldsboro Books and in general spend as much time as possible in as many bookshops as possible). Or the fact that Fannie Flagg has read my book. And liked it. She calls it “an absolutely delightful, charming book that celebrates the healing power of friendship and love often found in small towns” and if I have time later today I’ll tell you the story about how not  to write a short thank you note to Fannie Flagg.

Isn't it beautiful?
The dots!
The stacks of books!

“Could you list your top 20 books for the bookshops you’ll be visiting?”

I’m going to visit some great UK bookshops in June for the Independent Bookseller Week, and already Louise, the organizational genius behind The Schedule is preparing things.

Although since she let this idea slip through, you might be excused for wondering if she’s lost her grip on things. Since I agreed to it, you can be quite sure that I must have.

from:        “Court, Louise”
to:              Katarina Bivald <katarina@katarinabivald.se>
date:         Wed, May 20, 2015 at 6:05 PM
subject:   Re: Library reading group and advance copy 

(…)

Do let me know what you think, and if you’re happy with this please do send on your top 20 books – I think a selection from a broad range (from children’s, to nonfiction, to classics, to chick lit) would work wonderfully.

Best wishes,
Louise

from:        “Court, Louise”
to:              Katarina Bivald <katarina@katarinabivald.se>
date:         Tue, May 26, 2015 at 5:50 PM
subject:   Re: Library reading group and advance copy 

Hi Katarina

Just checking you’re on track for the 20 books recommendations, let me know if you need more time.

Best wishes,
Louise

from:        Katarina Bivald <katarina@katarinabivald.se>
to:              ”Court, Louise”
date:         Tue, May 26, 2015 at 6:31 PM
subject:   Re: Library reading group and advance copy 

As Mr Darcy of the BBC-serie would say: I shall conquer this, I shall!

Yours,
Katarina


from:        Katarina Bivald <katarina@katarinabivald.se>
to:              ”Court, Louise”
date:         Tue, May 26, 2015 at 6:51 PM
subject:   Re: Library reading group and advance copy 

Good God, I can’t believe I’m doing this. And I’m attaching it before I decide to ”go through it” to see if I’ve forgotten some book or other. I’ve tried for diversity, but I’m sure I haven’t succeeded. Young adults and fantasy are sadly missing (technically I think Before I Fell qualifies as young adult). Also no vampires and no children books.

Maybe it’s easier to stick to just one category? Books about books? Books for Friday nights and lazy Sundays etc..?

But I’m leaving it in your capable hands. Please change as you see fit.

I promise not to contact you too often with suggested changes. If I do, just ignore me.

I can do this. I am a moderately sane woman.

Yours,
Katarina

Ps. Really, though, twenty books… As you can see, they number 16 on the list, but that’s because there’s sometimes suggestions on more books by the same author.

There. I’m done. Promise.


from:        Katarina Bivald <katarina@katarinabivald.se>
to:              ”Court, Louise”
date:         Tue, May 26, 2015 at 7:00 PM
subject:   Possible changes

Or perhaps we shouldn’t include the classics? Jane Eyre, Persuasion…? Have people read them already, you think? Perhaps The Taste of Sorrow instead?

——————————————–

Good God. As I wrote this blog post I realize the question was not 20 general recommendations from my book, but my TOP 20 list. Those aren’t my top 20! No one could possibly decide on a top 20!

But I will not email Louise any more tonight. I will wait until tomorrow and sleep on this. Perhaps we could interpret it as 20 general recommendations, in no particular order.

Why? Why would anyone who knows me ask me for this? Haven’t they read High Fidelity and therefor know that the only thing that will come of this is that I have to harass poor Louise with demands for changes?

Skype chat with Brecon Library

Brecon Library had received advance copies of my book, and this week they met to discuss it. I participated in the end of their discussion, by way of Skype. We had a lovely chat, and afterwards, they sent me these photos, of our Skype discussion and their Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend-section at the library, with some of the books mention in my book: