Gutter Bookshop

With Anthony Horowitz at the Gutter Bookshop

I was on hand in Dublin last week to help launch a brand new bookshop in Temple Bar – the Gutter Bookshop, which is owned and run by 2 old friends of mine, Bob Johnston and Ann Geraghty. The 3 of us worked in Waterstone’s in Dublin together for years but now they’re in business on their own with what is the most elegant bookshop to arrive in the city in many years. If you’re around check them out on Cow’s Lane in Temple Bar or take a look at the website. Lots of other writers and literary folk were present to raise a glass to the new business, including writer Anthony Horowitz, who’s pictured with me here.

The Gutter Bookshop

Zac

I’m 38 years old and I’ve never owned a dog in my life. Until three days ago, that is, when Zac Connolly-Boyne entered our lives. A ruby Cavalier King Charles spaniel, he’s only 8 weeks old and not given to too much at the moment other than eating, pooping and sleeping, but is a welcome addition to our home. Of course, one of the things about working from home is that I’m in charge through the day which is a challenge but I’m enjoying it so far.

Author’s Choice

Amazon recently asked me to pick 10 books for their ‘Author’s Choice’ website. Not easy to pick and they’re not my favourite ten books of all time but just ten books that mean a lot to me for various reasons, which are listed on the page.

I chose: Treasure Island, David Copperfield, The Ghost Writer, The Cider House Rules, Saint Maybe, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, The Talented Mr Ripley, Anna Karenina, The First Rumpole Omnibus and The Northern Clemency. You can buy each of them at about 33% off on the author’s choice page, where I list my reasons for each choice.

Lisbon

I’m on holidays in Lisbon at the moment. Which is why the blog’s so quiet. Home soon!

Zafon reading

Last night, I hot-footed it down to my local bookshop, Hughes & Hughes Dundrum, to hear Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafon speak about his writing and particularly his two most recent novels, The Shadow of The Wind and The Angel’s Game.

I was a big fan of The Shadow of the Wind and have been looking forward to the new novel, which is a prequel to the early book.

Carlos did not in fact give his talk in the shop but in the nearby cinema, which was just as well as hundreds of people showed up to hear him; we all went back to the shop afterwards for the signing. I don’t think I’ve seen such a long queue for a book-signing session since the last time I was at an event with Jacqueline Wilson!

It was very interesting to hear Carlos talk about Barcelona and how it has influenced him both as a person and as a writer; I’ve been there a couple of times myself but always on promotional trips and would like to take a little time to explore the city next time I get a chance to visit.

The Best Way To See Ireland

 

        … is from a hot air balloon.

 

Some interested observers

Norwich

Anyone who’s ever read anything about me will know that I was a student on the Creative Writing course at the University of East Anglia during 1994/95 and returned there a decade later as Writing Fellow in 2004/05, which was where I made a great friend in the poet Nathan Hamilton.

So it was very nice to receive this photo from Nathan, standing in front of the library in Norwich city centre, reading not one but two of my books. What a talented fellow. Perhaps Nathan could be a good compromise candidate for Professor of Poetry at Oxford now it’s up for grabs again.

Be nice to go back to Norwich again sometime. Good memories.

Waterstone’s Offer

My novels are the subject of this week’s Waterstone’s special half-price offer.

The new hardback edition of THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE, the new paperback edition of MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY and the paperback edition of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS are all half-price until Wednesday 27th May.

You can find out more by clicking on their website.

Nice Morning…

The Boys From Siam

I was on hand in my old workplace, Waterstone’s in Dublin – where I worked between 1996 and 2003 – to help launch the publication of a new play, THE BOYS FROM SIAM by John Austin Connolly.

The play was the winner of the Yale Drama Series award, judged by Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Albee and is an extraordinary telling of the story of two conjoined twins, based on the lives of Chang and Eng Bunker, the original so-called Siamese twins. There was a huge turnout to hear John read two monologues from the play. It’s available to buy from Amazon or Waterstone’s.