Part One: My life (so far) in launches
The first book launch I ever went to was at the age of 22. It was in Kensington somewhere – a long, high, white room full of tall posh people. I'd been invited by my ex-boyfriend, a poet who was launching his latest collection; my chief memory of the event is of his brother, an actor, introducing himself and, seeing me with a glass of wine in one hand and no book in the other, challenging me somewhat aggressively as to whether I'd bought a copy yet. No, I replied testily, thinking that if anything I deserved a dedicated freebie – especially considering one of the poems was about me. I was naïve in the politics of launches, then – even the exes (perhaps especially they) are expected, if invited, to fork out and get a copy signed. But it's not all hard sell – if you work them right, book launches can actually be a lot of fun. (See Part 2).
The first book launch I ever went to was at the age of 22. It was in Kensington somewhere – a long, high, white room full of tall posh people. I'd been invited by my ex-boyfriend, a poet who was launching his latest collection; my chief memory of the event is of his brother, an actor, introducing himself and, seeing me with a glass of wine in one hand and no book in the other, challenging me somewhat aggressively as to whether I'd bought a copy yet. No, I replied testily, thinking that if anything I deserved a dedicated freebie – especially considering one of the poems was about me. I was naïve in the politics of launches, then – even the exes (perhaps especially they) are expected, if invited, to fork out and get a copy signed. But it's not all hard sell – if you work them right, book launches can actually be a lot of fun. (See Part 2). 