As luck would have it, the day of my first visit to Edinburgh coincided with a meet-up of literary ladies in The Edinburgh Bookshop. Jen, Leena, Lauren and Jean took over a corner of the shop, discussing the Man Booker Long-list, along with a whole stream of novels they were passionate about.
I couldn’t very well be in the city and miss out on meeting these women whose videos have energised my passion for reading and, in the case of Leena, reassured me that reading English was definitely what I want to do. So, off I traipsed in my broken boots to the other side of Edinburgh.
I couldn’t very well be in the city and miss out on meeting these women whose videos have energised my passion for reading and, in the case of Leena, reassured me that reading English was definitely what I want to do. So, off I traipsed in my broken boots to the other side of Edinburgh.
The afternoon was a beautiful conglomeration of book lovers chatting excitedly about their favourite texts and what the others really ought to shift to the top of their reading list. I not only got to meet the ladies mentioned above but also a group of like-minded readers who were a joy to get on with.
I left with my arms weighed down with recommendations and my head buzzing with productivity. Spending the afternoon talking with others who wrote blogs or ran YouTube channels inspired me to get back to my keyboard after what has been a summer of silence. Gatherings like the one on Saturday are great for re-igniting what may have become a rather pathetic flame. I was reminded of how much I love reading, writing and sharing what I love with others.
Jean made a 'Sharing the Love' video from the day with links to the blogs and channels of everyone who turned up which can be seen here.
The Books
Naturally this post couldn’t go up without a nod to the books I bought on the day. In Daydreams of Angels, O’Neill transforms fairy tales and bible stories to twisted and obscure tales set during the Paris Occupation or in the depth of Soviet Russia. How could I resist? The next recommendation I received from Jen was for Faber’s The Book of Strange New Things. I still don’t know much more about this novel than what’s stated in the blurb - it focuses on Peter, who goes on a humanitarian mission into deep space, leaving his wife behind on earth. From the way Jen spoke of it, it sounds quite astonishing so I’m looking forward to reading it. Finally, I picked up my first Jackie Kay, Trumpet. A death of a famous musician exposes an extraordinary secret known only to his wife, that he was a woman living as a man. I have no doubt that it’s going to be an incredible insight into human relationships and what we value, how people come to terms with the discovery that something they thought was solid fact was in fact a lie.
There were, of course, plenty more books that I wanted to buy but the money-conscious side of my brain took over. After all, one can only fit in so many non-set texts the week before one starts university.
I just want to say an extra thank you to the girls for setting up the day, it was fantastic to have the chance to meet you all.
