Books on the Tyne is All Mine

It has finally arrived! My long awaited talk at the Newcastle Book Festival AKA Books on Tyne.

The Festival is an important event in the North East literary calendar as it brings together many local writers. A variety of talks are held at both the Newcastle Central Library and the Lit and Phil Library, and it was an incredible moment to be one of the guest speakers during this popular event.

It is thanks to my good friend Chris Phipps, who put me in touch with the Festival organiser David Hepworth; we both met during Chris’ talk on his book Forget Carter a couple of weeks earlier.

My own talk was held on 22 November at the Bewick Hall Conference Room of the Newcastle Central Library, which is a lot warmer than the Castle Keep!

Unlike my previous speaking engagements, I had to talk about my book and the road I took in becoming a published author. Not the easiest of tasks for me, but one I relished the challenge of. But the most important thing for me was my mother in attendance. It was a big moment for her.

Walking into the conference room and seeing Cursed Horror Stars on the big screen felt amazing. It was also nice to get chatting again with David prior to the audience turning up and finding their seats. It was a good turn-out with several wonderful friends coming along for a bit of moral support. Thanks ladies and gents! David gave me a brilliant introduction and once positioned behind the lectern with the microphone and my notes at the ready, I did my stuff to a very appreciative audience. I spoke of my early attempts at writing as well as how I got the idea for my book. It was to me a very important 40 minutes of my life.

My next talk will be about Basil Rathbone at the Black Gate in Newcastle on 15 December. Watch this space!