It’s Wednesday and the last day of the London Book Fair is upon us. You can read round-ups from days one and two, and I’ll end my diary by giving you a run-down of my top ten moments from the London Book Fair 2012:
1) Going to the cook book section, seeing samples being given out, thinking ‘FREE FOOD!’, elbowing my way to the front and being given a plate of rice krispies, mixed with smoked bacon and melted marshmallows. Yum. See the pic for further, hideous details.
2) The Robson Press being on the front page of Publisher’s Weekly, as it was announced that they are to publish the memoir of Ted Hughes’ brother, Gerald Hughes, Ted and I: A Brother’s Memoir.
3) Reading a book proposal which said ‘men have that hunter’s glance, which would be so useful if a woodcock darted through the living room, yet makes them unsuited to fetch butter in the fridge’. Indeed.
4) Walking through the children’s publishing section and an exhibitor at one of the stalls bursting into song. The song simply went ‘Gussy the ice cream man. THAT’S ME’. Repeat.
5) A man dressed in a bunny outfit hopping past our stall asking, in a PAINFULLY high-pitched voice, if anyone had seen Alice.
6) A man dressed in nothing but a tie on his top half hand delivering a book to our stand, and telling us it was sealed with a kiss.
7) Having a veeeery close up picture of my face taken, by someone who was in awe of the range of glasses people were wearing at the Fair
8) Being told Adele was going to be at one of the stands, rushing to the stand, waiting an hour for her to turn up, realising she probably wasn’t coming and deciding to drink the free wine instead.
9) The smoked salmon canapés at the Canadian stall
10) And most importantly, all of the interest we’ve had in our books, the brilliant meetings we’ve had, the people we’ve met and the SCHMOOZING we’ve done. Oh yeah. I said it. SCHMOOZE.
So there we go! Another year, another Book Fair. See you next year!