Betty Birney’s Blog

Another word from our sponsor: TROUBLE ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY (U.S.)  is out in paperback with another of the brand-new covers which Humphrey and I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE!

Frank and I are back, but I need to scan a very special photo for my next post about our visit to St. Albans – a place you shouldn’t miss!

Some things you need to know: It was extremely difficult to leave London … so stay tuned for posts about visiting one of the 999 places you must visit before you die (it’s in the book) …about our night at the theater (what a way to end our visit), about our day with a wonderful fan and her family in Kent … oh, I’m already nostalgic and I haven’t been back 24 hours yet!

However, it was great to see the darling Miss Desi again, back from her doggie spa. (Always think we’re a bit disappointing to her after two weeks of living the high life in Topanga Canyon. Lucky Dog.)

Stay tuned ….

On Tuesday, up early again for a car to take Helena and me to the Guardian (newspaper) newsroom. This is an educational facility across the street from the newspaper offices, bright and modern with all kinds of interactive displays and a mock newsroom to help students learn about journalism. First things first, though: a stop at the coffee shop where I met fellow author Sue Bentley, which whom I’d be presenting, and the program’s organizers.

Sue is author of a super-popular series here called The Magic Kitten. Her World Book Day book is the 16th in the series and there’s a magic puppy in Sue’s future! They brought in two different groups of students and we each spoke, then took questions together and did a signing. Sue and I were so simpatico, if I lived here, I’d suggest we always do our presentations together. The only sour note was that one school didn’t make it, due to a train shut down in Tooting. It’s not difficult to remember how exciting a field trip is and we were so sorry for their plight. We signed a set of books and posters to be delivered to them.

A quick lunch with Sue and organizers, then off to the BBC. I’m not only a fan of BBC television productions, I even listen to the radio online. And there I was, at one of the larger radio facilities on Portland Place, where another Faber friend, Rebecca, met me. It was quite an impressive place with an oddly menacing revolving door at security. Vibeke Venema, the producer, took us upstairs to tape an interview for Go4It, a children’s program on Radio 4. I was told that I’d be interviewed by children but, to my surprise and delight, I was interviewed by a hamster named Henrietta (in the human form of actress and reporter Sue Elliot-Nichols). Sue had developed a complete life history and personality for Henrietta and it wasn’t all so happy (Her family always forgets to top off her water.) As I answered questions about Humphrey, I learned a lot more about Henrietta, including the fact that she has quite a crush on Room 26′s favorite pet. Even with breaks for Henrietta to crunch her celery, it was a delightful experience. I’ll put up the link when I have it.

Then Rebecca and I walked to another BBC building a few blocks away. Literary fans, I checked in at the desk next to author Julian Barnes. Then we went up to somewhat shabbier offices and waited in a reception room until I was called into a tiny room where I was left alone with a microphone and headphones and a volume switch. I was told that someone would come on the air soon. It took about as long as it takes to boil water (forever) before I heard the voice of Steve Scruton of BBC Radio Essex telling me we’d be on the air in a minute. Steve was a great interviewer, as it turns out, who gave Humphrey and me a glowing introduction which included a review from a young boy who said everything I’d want to be said about the books.  Steve had done his homework well and the interview was a lot of fun.

My career at the BBC came to a (temporary, I hope) end and a car took me back to the hotel where I got ready for a very big evening!

Julia Wells, my UK editor whom I’d never met, came to the hotel first, then walked Frank and me to a nearby pub where other members of the Faber team were waiting. Julia was hardly a stranger after several years of emailing and one phone call and besides, she chose Humphrey! It was something like meeting long lost relatives – faces put with names, and people who are working for Humphrey that I didn’t even know about.  Then we walked around the corner to a restaurant on Charlotte Street called Passione. http://www.passione.co.uk/home.php3 The chef is Gennaro Contaldo, who is Jamie Oliver’s (The Naked Chef) mentor. We had a private dinner upstairs with the Faber group and select people from the children’s book world (buyers, reviewer, etc.). The best food and generous pourings of wine and excellent, excellent company. A night to remember and yes, I do remember what I ate: a pear and rocket salad, halibut on a bed of spinach, blood orange and lemon sorbet. More interestingly presented than I made it sound. I couldn’t finish it all and the walk home (after lengthy goodbyes to our Faber friends on the sidewalk) felt pretty darn good.

First… a word from our sponsor (yes, they used to say that on television): SURPRISES ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY is out and I’m getting great feedback. Also, TROUBLE ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY is now out in paperback. Both have the newly designed covers. And now, back to our program, where Betty just appeared at the Bath Literature Festival.

We spent the night in Bath and the next morning, Helena and I hurried up the hill and met Gill at the Royal High School Junior School. A very welcoming place with magnificent views and VERY-VERY-VERY nice students and teachers! However, there were tech problems for the assembly at which I was to speak. My overall experience has been this: if they hire professional tech people, there will always be a glitch. Everyone bent over backwards but I had to give the assembly with no visuals. The students didn’t seem to mind.

Another tech person was brought in, the problem was fixed and I did two other presentations and signings. It was a whirlwind trip but not one easily forgotten!

Then we took a cab to a village school – the Shaw School in Melksham, Wiltshire. I truly have read so many British books, I felt right at home on the ride there and even more at home once I arrived. Many months ago, I made a connection with the Shaw School when teacher Susan Jackson emailed about her students’ love of Humphrey. They even got their own hamster named Humphrey, and searched out The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs, which isn’t published in the UK.

The students knew so much about me, we had a lengthy question and answer session after my presentation (no tech problems; I used my own equipment- it’s a drag to carry but never fails me.) Then I signed a lot of books. We had to hurry back to the train but it was a little difficult to leave Shaw School.

And for dinner when we returned, I think we just grabbed a take-out (called takeaway) sandwich and went to bed as I had another full day to come!

On Sunday morning a car was waiting to pick us up and we went back to Paddington Station where we met Helena for our trip to Bath. A nice train ride, about an hour and a half, past lovely canals with canal boats and fishermen and sheep. Bath is an amazing sight – all of local limestone which gives it quite a unique look. We checked in at the old Mercure Francis Hotel directly on Queen Square and then hurried over to the Guild Hall – next to the Abbey and the Roman Baths – for my presentation.

Everyone involved with the Bath Literature Festival was welcoming – as was the constant aroma of whiskey (at 11 am) because a famed whiskey maker was a sponsor and handing out samples. We sat in a very grand room before one of those enormous fireplaces and were brought tea and sandwiches and fruit. Lots of good writer conversation – Martin Amis had just been there and Margaret Drabble was speaking in the afternoon and writers were coming in. We did a tech check – not entirely satisfactory because of a strange built-in screen that no matter what we tried, showed my Power Point pictures stretched. So everyone and everything looked short and squat. I forged ahead. A nice audience of children and parents but the theater wasn’t particular user friendly in that it was very dark and I was up on a high stage with the children below. (I like to get up close and personal.) Still, a lovely, lovely group with a nice signing afterwards – my first in the UK. And the only signing I’ve ever done with the scent of whiskey all around me and the children!

Afterwards, we were given vouchers for a catered lunch upstairs in the Guild Hall and then Frank and I tried to see a little of Bath. We waited and waited and waited some more for a bus which finally came and took us up the hill to see the Royal Crescent and the fabulous view of Bath. But it was late afternoon and we got off at the Roman Baths, the one thing we definitely wanted to see. Luckily we were able to spend enough time there to feel we’d seen it all. We actually did go to the Pump Room and drink the water. People told us not to, that it tasted so bad, but we’re both as curious as Humphrey and we drank it. It tasted well, not great, but not as bad as I was led to believe. However, no miracle cure seemed to result from it.

After a quick freshen-up, we joined Helena and John and Gill McLay, founders of another festival, the Bath Children’s Festival. We ate at a hole in the wall called The Hole in the Wall and had a delightful evening. Ummm and good mussels!

And then….. more to come! (more pictures of Bath - some of them are still on a little throwaway camera bought when we mistakenly thought our camera battery had run down.)

World Book Day is celebrated in many countries (not the U.S.) but is especially big in the United Kingdom. There are numerous events for adults and children in celebration of books, special short reads published for adults … but the children here get the very best deal. Every school child in the UK gets a 1 pound token to buy one of nine short books especially commissioned for the event. Or they can get 1 pound off any other book.

This year there were nine authors chosen, including Dav Pilkey, Neil Gaiman and me! Thirteen million tokens are given out; the book printings are around 250,000. My book, ADVENTURE ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY, is about a third of the size of a normal Humphrey book.

Many schools mark the day with book events including costume parades where students dress up as their favorite characters. I met several children who were dressing up as Humphrey – my apologies to their mums for having to make such complicated costumes!

Because WORLD ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY was a Richard and Judy winner (Richard and Judy being the Oprah show and book club equivalent in the UK), and because I was asked to write a World Book Day Book (ADVENTURE) and because TROUBLE ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY and the audiobook for WORLD ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY both come out in April, Faber and Faber, my UK publisher, generously invited me to come over for a week of promotional activities.

(My husband Frank tagged along because we’re spending an extra week here on our own.)