The Firestation Book Swap

What a wonderful book event!  If I were King, I’d order one of these for every town and city centre!  The Firestation Book Swap takes all of our favourite things (books, readers & cake) and turns them into the loveliest book chat ever – with people pitching books they love to swap and take home.  (And did I mention there was cake?) Big, big thanks to organiser Scott Pack and his glamourous assistant for the night, Sarah Franklin.  There were lots of friendly faces in the house and the lovely Morgan McCarthy beside me, on the “author sofa”.  We were very dainty with the plate of macaroons offered to us – no undignified scrum over the cake plate with us two!  The next Firestation Book Swap in Windsor is in January, and you can also “like” them on Facebook or find them on Twitter.  Rumour has it, next year will feature Book Swaps in London.  Just try to keep me away!  (Will there be cake?)

Below, here is a portrait from the evening of Morgan and me, answering readers’ questions from the metal bucket of joy.  It was sketched by Cynthia Barlow Marrs and it was a lovely souvenir of a most wonderful evening.  Thank you very much!