Advance bookings
Still reeling from the sight of my life neatly divided into scrapbook-size clippings and displayed on Tumblr. And by reeling I mean being fairly pleased in a narcissistic way. We have now identified the curator (Hannah, an Australian) and her deputy, and offended one person mildly with the ‘fuckyeahmarkwatson’ title. Maybe someone can write a little program so that if you type in ‘goshyesiagreemarkwatson’, it redirects automatically to the right page. The same software could be used by porn sites so that if you are too sheepish to google some of the seedier things you’re looking for, you could just put in ‘ladies in various, rather contrived forms of undress’ and it will convert it into real terms for you. I’m tempted to go and google ‘ladies in various, rather’ etc now but I’m on a hotel server and I expect they have ways of monitoring these things.
(Anecdote: my colleague Mickey D once bought the porn channel in a hotel room and then it didn’t work properly. He had to go down to reception and complain that his porn wasn’t working. Such is the shamelessness of this rogue that he toughed it out and made sure the issue was rectified.)
How did we get onto porn?
Well, back to literature. I’m going to be doing a series of book readings in and around London – and by that, I mean, London and Hay-on-Wye – to publicise the paperback release of Eleven. If you’ve not read the book yet, this could be your chance to do just that. Even if you have read it, this new edition contains a question-and-answer session with the author (me, Mark Watson) prattling on. Also a new ending where everything works out pretty much perfectly.
Whether you have or haven’t read the book, though, or ever intend to, I’d like these events to be slightly more fun(ky) than book events sometimes are, i.e. more than five people and wine that isn’t awful. And a general sense of chaotic stand-up type fun mixed in with the reading bits. A bit like the rain-sodden Edinburgh tour that some of you gamely endured last August. So it might be worth coming, in all honesty.
These things will take place in July and August. More details tomorrow. There can’t be many bloggers so diligent that they give 24 hours’ notice of an announcement of an event. Or perhaps, many bloggers so anxious to spin out minimal material over more than one day. Who knows? Either way, ready your literary-fun-receptors. You’re going to need those things this summer. Now excuse me, I’m off to Tumblr to gaze at myself in a suit. Or shirtless.
Posted by Aislinn on May 12, 2011
I have been waiting all my life for a funky book event.
Posted by Katie on May 12, 2011
If you do a Google image search of “ladies in various, rather contrived forms of undress”, what appears is a load of Victorian ladies, some (rather well endowed) life-sized dolls and Robert Smith from The Cure.
Which is good, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Posted by Hannah on May 12, 2011
You’ll be pleased to know that if you type in ‘goshyesiagreemarkwatson.tumblr.com’ it will redirect to ‘fuckyeahmarkwatson.tumblr.com’. All parties sorted now.
And new release: YAY! Again disappointed that I like Joelle, do not live in the UK to join in festivities.
Posted by Tibbs on May 12, 2011
Very excited about these book readings, since I will (hopefully, if all goes to plan) be in the UK for most of August at least. And I’m rather tempted by the Canadian release of Eleven, since it has a different cover and I have been thinking about getting a lending copy. And it’s out just before my birthday!
Posted by Joelle on May 12, 2011
To whoever was offended by the ‘fuckyeahmarkwatson’, it’s not just Mark’s Tumblr site. Most fan pages have ‘fuckyeah’ followed by the celebrities name. Sort of used to show excitement I suppose. Where there are references to the person it does get changed though. Josh Thomas had ‘goshyeahjoshthomas’ and Tim Minchin has just ‘blackoutfuckyeah’.
I think this should go on the list of reasons why I should visit/movie to the UK.
I’ll get there one day.
I hope you have a good day
Posted by Natalie-Helen on May 11, 2011
Yay! Book Readings! This sounds like fun and although i do not know where Hay on Wye is I really do know London. Consider me interested and, all things going well, definitely coming.
Hmmm, new ending eh? Hmmm.
^_^
Posted by Jen on May 11, 2011
exciting!!!!Jx
…my short n sweet contribution but gets the message across well!
Posted by Kathryn on May 11, 2011
Alas, July and August fall under my officially sanctioned three months of exile, i.e. the summer holidays when I am forced to return to Ireland so that I have a place to live. The usual complaint, really.
Posted by Misha on May 11, 2011
Also, blog commenters, i’ve got a couple of spare priority tickets to the afforementioned recording, should anyone want them,
Posted by Misha on May 11, 2011
What happens, if you put “ladies in various rather contrived forms of undress” into Google, is that your blog is the first hit.
The images are also somewhat eclectic.
In organised date news, might you consider mentioning the improv show? (http://www.lostintv.com/tv_show.cfm?f=1305118579978&content_type_id=256&k&CFID=1503440&CFTOKEN=aaf15c6dbd796eac-13CCA9D2-9915-1738-D144877DC0F2A3F8) for tickets.
And surely if you wanted to see yourself shirtless you could just take your own shirt off infront of a mirror? No?
Posted by Megan on May 11, 2011
Eleven gets its official Canadian (and American) release next week! http://www.amazon.ca/Eleven-Novel-Mark-Watson/dp/1451606788/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305125299&sr=8-1
Posted by Rachael on May 11, 2011
Maybe they withheld the porn on purpose because they wanted to see if he had the guts to complain. I think I would have liked to see him try to explain the problem.
Also, it’s been a while since I read it but wasn’t the old version paperback too?
Posted by Georgie on May 11, 2011
It has a new ending as well? I thought it was just the extra interview-y bit! Now I’m extra curious, due to having the ‘old’ (and thrice signed, of course) copy. Care to let me in on the details of this different ending? It would be much appreciated! Hope NZ is lovely. x
Posted by Catherine aka Cathy on May 11, 2011
I just checked Amazon (US) and ELEVEN is out in paperback May 17, 2011 (and Kindle). Excited!
Posted by Andrew on May 11, 2011
Well that’s just typical, isn’t it? In the time it takes me to suggest that I have the first comment, someone else does. It was blank when I started. Harumph.
Posted by Andrew on May 11, 2011
Are you mocking me, Watson?
It’s OK, I’m used to it. As I said in my comment yesterday, I have no problem whatsoever with profanity in context, so would have no need for sheepish euphemisms were I to search for porn. Which, of course, I have never done. Ahem.
First comment? I don’t think I’ve managed that before. Maybe I should request that you write an entire blog entry constructed of nothing but swearing, as if you were one of the blokes who used to stand behind me in the London Road.
Posted by Phill on May 11, 2011
Woohoo, book readings, sounds like fun! By August I may be in the big smoke (London – I’m going to be a student again in North London next September so will be moving mid-August. Probably more detail than you needed, but still.)
I eagerly anticipate your announced announcement.
I do like your suggestion to Google for ‘ladies in various, rather contrived forms of undress’. There must be a way of Google bombing that to point to, e.g., David Cameron’s biography. (in the same way that searching for ‘miserable failure’ a few years ago took you to George W. Bush’s autobiography).