SPRING HAS SPRUNG

BOOK CLUB FOR ONE (MILLION)

"CLOSING LIBRARIES IS CHILD ABUSE"

Alan Bennett.

Right thats it, they are gone, gone, gone.

I gave away the last few of my books at lunchtime today.

I was really lucky to be picked as a world book night giver.

One million books to be given away from Saturday onwards all over the country.

48 copies of Alan Bennett's "A life like other peoples" later

and I am still reeling from the whole thing.

This Friday was a rather special night for a few of us South London girls.

Bizarrely there were 3 of us Mums from our school who were all picked.

We picked up our wrist bands at the allotted time,

put on our warm coats and boots and

headed off for an extra special night out.

The world book night launch in Trafalgar Square.

Every minute of the two and a half freezing hours spent there was fantastic.

My highlight was Alan Bennett reading a very moving piece about his Mother's last days, and then going on to have a good old rant about library closures.

But David Nichols reading from "One Day" and Sarah Walters reading from "The Fingersmith" were equally memorable.

Seeing Margaret Atwood almost made me forgive her for the truly terrible

" Year of the flood" that I had to read recently, almost, but not quite!

Then the giving began.

My friend and glamourous assistant in the sewing class department, Kirsty and I had both elected to give away our books at school.

Me because I thought it would be interesting to give away a book so quintessentially English, with such a wry English sense of self depreciating humour in such a multi cultural school (there are over 60 languages spoken in our playground!)

Kirsty because she thought "One Day" by David Nichols would appeal to Dads, and they would in turn make good role models for their sons and

encourage them to read more.

Any way what ever the reasons a free book is a free book and they all went with in 15 miniutes. It was great walking through the playground afterwards seeing so many people clutching their books and imagining the hours of pleasure they have ahead.

I saved a few and gave them away at the college I teach at this lunch time, but

we could have given away twice as many, still there is always next year.

Happy reading

Love Nora xx