Dirty Laundry

UK Tour Days Two, Three, and Four

I’m going to make this fairly brief because, number one, I’m knackered (slowly, I’m turning British), and two, I have no pictures because I have been a terrible photographer lately. I’ve been promised photographs from my various escorts (all insanely lovely people, by the way) and I will post them when I receive them.

And so, in short order:

Sunday: Had lunch with my step-son and some friends then tubed it back to the hotel and went for dinner with Helen Boyle, fiction publisher for Templar, and Damian Kelleher, journalist and YA novelist. We had Mexican. In London. Which you wouldn’t expect to be good. But we went to a restaurant called Wahaca and it was quite good. Tapas, tacos, taquitos. Tasty! Helen and Damian are both delightful and I had a really nice time talking with them. They felt like old friends by the end of the evening and I was so glad we got to spend some time together. Damian will be interviewing me at the book launch on the 25th so it was good to get to know him in advance.

Monday: Met Phillipa Perry, publicist extraordinaire, who trotted me off to the Tiffin Boys School in Kingston for the Kingston Festival. There we met Vanessa Howe, an enthusiastic and sweet librarian. I did a reading and talk for a group of boys who laughed at all the right moments and then asked some great questions. Then, it was off to Paddington Station to catch a train to Bristol. Fell asleep on the train and woke with a start thinking I’d missed my stop. Thankfully, I hadn’t, but I’d drooled, which was embarrassing. That evening I met Jayne Roscoe and had a fantastic meal and chat.

Tuesday: Burned off several layers of skin fumbling with the fifteen different strange shower knobs in the bathtub. Hurriedly got dressed, ran downstairs, and then mistakenly tried to get into the driver’s side of Jayne’s car (they drive on the other side of the road here, you know… I’d of course forgotten). Jayne drove me to Backwell School in Bristol where librarian Anne Gibson had organized a visit. Once again the students were enthusiastic and attentive. This was followed by a second school visit at Broadoak Community College in North Somerset. Librarian Frances Trout was super-accomodating as I had a radio interview scheduled just at the beginning of my talk. Frances allowed me to do my ten minute interview (on why boys aren’t reading anymore) in her office as she settled the students down and got them prepared. The interview went well as did the student talk. Lots of laughs and good discussion. Then, it was back to Bristol for a curry house dinner, a much-appreciated debriefing Skype with my smiling wife, and bed.

Wednesday: A light drizzle sprinkling down, Jayne drove me to QEH Bristol, a beautiful old school that serves the most incredible school lunches I’ve ever seen in my life. Roast chicken, quiche, pies, salads, jello, and cakes. All students should eat this well. Actually, EVERYONE should always eat like this. Librarian Annette Robbins was very warm and welcoming and the reading and talk went off quite well. Jayne and I were invited to lunch (which we gladly accepted) and then it was off in the drizzle to Nailsea School. I must say that librarian Alex Jones had the students and staff at the school wonderfully prepared and it made for a terrific experience. Even though there was a technical glitch with showing my book trailer it didn’t matter one bit. The students were full of spirit and laughter and some of the best questions I think I have ever had in a session. Following the session I signed many books and then Jayne ushered me off to Bristol Airport to catch my flight to Edinburgh.

Where I sit at the moment. Having been taxied here by a cab driver with the coolest Scottish brogue and having just had a grand meal with the energetic Emma O’Donovan.

The hotel I am staying in is top notch and I am really grateful to everyone at Templar for all they have been doing for me. I feel much too well looked after and I just hope I am able to repay the favor with book sales.

Wow. That was not as brief as I would have liked. But there you go.

If you’re too impatient to wait until these blogs are written and you’d like to find out things “as they happen” then you can follow me on Twitter.

Posted by Don Calame on 5.18.11 at 01:24 pm in Prattlings. (0) Comments

UK Tour Day One

Got in on a Saturday and was dead tired. Should have slept more on the plane but there was food to be eaten and there were movies that had to be watched.

Well, one movie. Barney’s Version. Which I enjoyed quite a bit. I am a huge Paul Giamatti fan. “Funny and touching” are extremely cliched terms but they apply to the film and I’m much too woozy-headed at the moment to come up with something better.

I floated off the plane in a jetlagged fog, passed through customs mumbling something about being an author on tour, got picked up by a driver (I hope he was mine, he was holding a sign with a name on it but my vision was fuzzy. I saw a D and a C and went with it).

Got to my hotel and checked in. Signed up for the internet (I have my priorities) and then tried to take a nap. It proved difficult. So I got up and stumbled around The National Gallery for a while. See my Twitter feed for what happened there. Oops.

Had an amazing meal with my step-son and his friends at Mr. Chow (I highly recommend the walnut glazed shrimp). Then tubed it back to my hotel, Skyped with my wife, and promptly passed out.

I still don’t know who won last night’s hockey game. I should go check that now.

Having dinner with Helen Boyle, Templar’s fiction publisher, and reporter Damian Kellher this evening. Very excited about that.

Tomorrow I do the first of my readings at Tiffin Boys School. Can’t wait!

More later…

Posted by Don Calame on 5.15.11 at 01:14 am in Prattlings. (0) Comments

From Belleville to UK

Had an absolute blast in Belleville yesterday at the Voices from the Forest Event. A big thanks has to go out to Curriculum Coordinator Pearl Hucul who was the heroine hostess of the day. Also want to thank all of the teachers who brought their amazing student-readers out to hear from us authors (Allan Stratton, Courtney Summers, Rosemarie Boll, and me, of course.)

Now, I’m off to the UK for my incredible tour organized by the fabulous people at Templar. I seriously can’t believe all they are doing for me. I am absolutely flabbergasted (don’t you just love that word) at all of the events they have set up.

I’m not only going on a physical tour, which includes stops at the Kingston and Hay Festivals, but I am also going on a whirlwind virtual tour. Check out my UK guest blogging schedule below. So very cool!!!

Posted by Don Calame on 5.13.11 at 01:00 pm in Prattlings. (0) Comments

White Pine and Festival of Trees!

Just a fantastic day at OLA Forest of Reading Festival of Trees. What an amazing job everyone involved does in putting this celebration of literacy on!

For up to the minute (well, up to the minute at the time) updates, check out my Twitter feed.

I was very excited to be selected a White Pine Honour Book and be in such great company with all the other fantastic authors. Richard Scarsbrook took top honours with The Monekyface Chronicles. Kudos to Richard. It was really great meeting him and all the other authors. Thanks in particular to Natale Ghent author of Gravity Brings Me Down, who kept me entertained and informed throughout the entire White Pine proceedings.

Here are some quick snaps my wife and I took. It doesn’t even come close to capturing how special the day was. Just loved spending time with all these readers. It was something I will never forget. If you look closely at the pictures of the stage you can see me, third from the left. Afterwards, I was swarmed by autograph seekers which was super fun. So glad so many people enjoyed the book!

Posted by Don Calame on 5.11.11 at 12:51 pm in Prattlings. (3) Comments