More Authors, and a Ukulele!

Another post which is almost a week overdue - sometimes real life does slow down the posting!

This was my last Bath Lit Fest event, and was different in that the

others were all to see people I knew of, whose work I'd read or was familiar with - this was one I went to as I read the information in the festival programme and thought it might be interesting. It was a reading / conversation with two authors,Ali Shaw , talking about his first novel, The Girl With Glass Feet and Mathias Malzieu, talking about his book The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart.(Which has apparently also been made into an animated film, due out in France in October)



It was a much smaller event than the previous ones I've been to - it was in a smaller side room, and there were, I guess, around 30 people there.




Mathias Malzieu was accompanied by Sarah Ardizzone, who translated the book into English and was interpreting where necessary.



Both authors started by reading from their books - I haven't yet started reading my (shiny new & signed) copy of The Girl with Glass Feet, but I bought it on the strength of the extract which Ali read, as I loved the description, and the idea behind the story, of a girl slowly turning to glass from the feet up, so I have high hopes!

I am not sure of their literary significance, but I also feel I shold mention Mathias Malzieu's beautiful red patent leather shoes, which I was vert sad to find I had failed to capture in any of my (colour) photos of the event..

Mathias and Sarah read from the beginning of 'The boy with the Cuckoo-clock heart' and Mathias talked a little more about the plot, which as well as making me want to read it, gave me the opportunity to practice my French comprehension! He also played and sang (He has another career as a rock-singer) It was fun.



I've started reading the book which, as the title suggests features a boy whose heart is replaced by a cuckoo-clock ....so far I'm liking it, although despite appearance it is not a children's story.

At the end, there was an opportunity to meet both authors, and Sarah Ardizzone, although I chickened out of trying out my spoken French, for fear of making a fool of myself..

I wonder who will be coming to Bath in September, for this year's Children's Literature Festival?