My book is launched! And I had a wonderful time. We were at the beautiful imprints in Hindley Street, and Deb Tribe from ABC Radio Adelaide launched it for me (oh my gosh, not to gush, but what a generous person she is…and a wonderful speaker too, completely captivating…she’s a marriage celebrant too so if you are getting married you should one hundred percent look her up).
The night didn’t all go quite as I had planned. In my mind, I had this idea that I would spend the time flitting between the many lovely people I know, cross-pollinating my friendships and making sure that everyone was put in touch with everyone they should be put in touch with, and then they could all spend the rest of their lives saying, ‘And to think, it was your book launch we met at, TC.’
Of course the reality was that I had about seven seconds with each person, and spent a lot of the time feeling rude because I was chopping conversations off before they’d even begun.
But it was brilliant beyond brilliant to have a chance to reconnect with friends I have lost touch with, to nourish family connections, to thank people who have helped me to write and to be a writer, to acknowledge the creative relationships I’ve been so lucky to have through the years…to share this time with people I love and respect and admire.
I can say without a doubt that I have enjoyed the process of having my second novel published much more than I did the first. When the first one came out, my dad had only recently died and we had moved to Abu Dhabi and then I turned forty … I kind of tried to hide from the publication of Black Dust Dancing. But this time I really have wanted to celebrate. To celebrate not only the book, but so many other things too. Friendships mostly I suppose.
Anyway, not to get too sooky, because there was enough of that on the night. My book is out and about in the world. It’s nerve wracking of course, but it had the best bon voyage party any book could ask for.