Okay, you Brits—I’m coming! Yes, I have the preliminary schedule for my United Kingdom tour—a couple events have yet to be confirmed, but you can keep an eye on the events page to see if they manage to find a room for us. I hope people turn up, even if they don’t buy books it makes the publishers happy. And me, too: there’s nothing quite so deflating as an empty room. If even two or three of you come, we can wander out to a nearby pub or tea room and have a chat…
Drag in your friends, bully your co-workers, but please come and see me. I won’t even force you to ask me a question unless you stick up your hand, now how’s that for a deal?
Newcastle upon Tyne
June 5, 7:30
In conversation with Val McDermid
The Lit and Phil (a private library)
23 Westgate Road
Bristol
June 6- 8
Crime Fest
June 6: 3.00-4.00pm, interview
June 7: 10.30-11.30am: panel
June 8: 12.00-1.00pm: panel
Bath
June 9
(to be confirmed)
Cambridge
June 10, 6:30
In conversation with Ruth Dudley Edwards & Jane Finnis
Heffers Books, 20 Trinity Street
Gateshead
June 11, 7:00
Central Library
Prince Consort Road
Edinburgh
June 12, 6:30
Blackwell Books, 53-62 Southbridge
Oxford
June 18
(to be confirmed)
Blackwell Books and Oxford Library reading groups
London
June 19, 7:00
Paddington Library, Porchester Road
LaideeMarjorie says
May 13, 2008 at 9:43 amLaurie,
I am so glad for your sake that you feel you can make the trip overseas and that things at home will be handled in a way that leaves you free to go.
When I last went to London in 2005, I also went to Bristol for a performance at the Old Vic. I ate at a lovely restaurant (great salmon) called Acqua right on the water that you might wnat to try if you have any time in Bristol:
http://bristol.aqua-restaurant.com/
Congratulations.
–Marjorie
Roxanne says
May 13, 2008 at 9:53 amLaurie,
I am so glad that you will be able to go to the UK in June–only three weeks from now!
I have never been. DD has–twice! It has always been my dream to visit the UK. I hope you have a lovely time.
Roxanne
Strawberry Curls says
May 13, 2008 at 4:10 pmThat is a very heavy schedule from the 5th to the 12th. I hope all goes well and you have a wonderful trip. I wish I could be in England this summer but it is not to be. I’m shooting for 2009 at this point. Best wishes for a wonderful trip.
Alice
Chris says
May 14, 2008 at 3:21 amThis is (almost) great news! Yet again, I am out of the UK when you are here…and you even have Edinburgh back on the schedule! At that precise time I will be sat in Gatwick Airport on the way home from holiday, and no amount of flight tweeking will get me back in time. I am so annoyed with myself… LOL. Are you still in Edinburgh on the afternoon of 13th June, I wonder…?
Anyway, have a wonderful trip over, I do hope you enjoy your time here and that the events are a success.
All best wishes
Chris
Edinburgh
vicki says
May 14, 2008 at 4:04 pmI’d love to get over there for the Oxford or Edinburgh events. I especially love both those cities. I absolutely *haunted* Blackwell’s in Oxford when I was there one summer during college. And my room looked out over the street directly across from the Eagle and the Child, where the Inklings met. It made me feel very literary!
Oh, and if any of you post an online report of any of the UK events, please send a link to info at laurierking.com so I can get it posted in the VBC and on Laurie’s facebook page, etc. Or if you’re a VBC member, you can post it in the forum and I can link out from there. Thanks! 🙂
Chris says
May 15, 2008 at 3:17 amIn the late 80s, I too haunted the Blackwells in Oxford… No, not as a student, but I lived only 40 miles away and had my first car! I used to love those pre-internet book days, when you only knew what books were out by exploring a book store, not checking on-line months in advance. I doubt if I’ll ever be into e-books – you can’t beat the touch, feel and smell of a new hardback book…!
Chris
vicki says
May 15, 2008 at 12:05 pmCool! I wonder if we ever passed each other in the aisles. I would have been there in summer of 1987, working my way through the store, gawking happily at all the titles and occasionally walking into columns or other people in my bemused state.
I also spent a lot of time in the Blackwell’s children’s shop (I’m a huge kid/YA lit fan) and in their poster shop. Love, love, love Blackwells!
Chris says
May 16, 2008 at 3:29 amHi Vicki 🙂 Yes – summer 1987 was my first summer in that part of the world – we probably browsed the crime corners at the same time!
I am so hoping Laurie is still in Edinburgh on 13th May, but I may have to ask Blackwell’s here to ask her to leave me a signed copy of Touchstone – hope that is OK…? Next stop for me is San Francisco and Scottsdale at Christmas/New Year, so I am REALLY hoping if Langauage of Bees is published at that time I can make it to a US signing. I always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time LOL…
Chris
Meg Gardiner says
May 19, 2008 at 3:37 amI look forward to seeing you in Bristol, Laurie.