Give a Pole a book
So, there’ll be a picnic for Watsonians. This is not my doing. I do take an unusual level of interest in my readers’ wellbeing but I would come across as a bit strange if I started organising picnics for everyone. You can find out about it here, on the forum:
http://www.markwatsonfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&p=19122#p19122
In other meetings-of-people-connected-by-this-site news, two regular readers met at Ed Byrne’s gig last night WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING they were each other, if you see what I mean, until they left Comments. Maybe I will start a dating service after all. It’s an example of the way your life intersects with more strangers’ lives than you ever imagine. Someone should really write a book about that.
On an unrelated note, Eleven was reviewed in the New York Times this week, imagine that! It was a nice review. Sort of slightly condescending, but nice. The New York Bloody Times!
Which brings me to a special offer. I have some foreign editions of Eleven to give away. Each time a new edition is published I get sent a box of them, and now we have about 600 copies of the book in eight or so languages in our house, and we’re starting to not have space for stuff like a bath and a kettle. I’ve decided to give a couple away to deserving homes. Basically, to qualify, you have to be – or know – someone from the relevant country.
So, there are French, German, American, Italian and Polish versions on offer (a couple more to follow later). One copy of each. I want to give them to five foreigners. Are you American, do you know a Pole, is your cousin Italian? The books could be yours.
What do I want in exchange for this? Well, basically I just want more people to read the book in less likely countries and then spread the word to the remaining people in those countries. So I will give priority to most well-connected foreigners. E.g. if the American you know is Barack Obama or the Pole you know is Polish President Bromislaw Kormorowski, you will almost certainly win. Or if you just know a talkative Frenchman or a German who belongs to lots of book groups, or just something out of left-field like one of the Italian Eurovision team. Or, maybe you are feeling lucky and you don’t even personally know such a person but think you might be able to get a copy to them. e.g. Your uncle knows someone who works in a restaurant run by that famous French chef. Or you know where Boris Becker lives.
So in short, to win, either prove or claim convincingly that you are, or can get the book to, an influential or in any other way cool national of the above-named countries.
Also, I’m quite bad at organising things and don’t really want to post off too many books, so if you are in a position to collect one off me at a show or other event, that might help you win. But it’s not essential.
I hope at least a few people will join in this initiative to reach out to our fellow citizens of the world, and perhaps more importantly get me some publicity. Good luck to us all.
PS I think I owe a copy to a certain American too. She knows who she is. If it’s you, do get in touch.
Posted by Josie on May 23, 2011
I know gajillions of French people. This probably is less helpful than some of the brilliant Watsonians out there will have, but, hey, I know lots of French people! And they’re all lovely. If that helps.
Posted by Knox on May 23, 2011
Ooh – jumping in to the current camp for the moment – welcome back!
As for the foreign books, I have a German friend who lives in Athens. She’s also lived in Florida, Barcelona, Santiago De Compostela, London, her native Germany, and most excitingly, Hull. She speaks German, English, Spanish, Greek, and French, and knows lots of people. I could get the book from you on Friday or one of your book events soon, and send it on to her.
Posted by Aislinn on May 23, 2011
There is someone in my Mum’s Uni class called Bruno and I’m pretty sure he’s Italian.
Posted by sarahthemonkey2 on May 23, 2011
Unless you have russian verisions of the book then I don’t really know anyone. All of my family are in this country and I’ve only been abroad once.
However glad to see you got some recongition for your book which is a fantastic read.
Posted by Ingrid on May 23, 2011
New York Times? Wow! Thats bloody good!
Anyway, i know a French person who would love an ‘Eleven’ book. She is a teacher at a really big school in the west of France which is part of a BBC program which joins up schools around the world. She also travels. A lot. She knows people in Australia, Britain, Germany and many other countries. She goes to Nepal every year and spends time volunteering with schools and such like.
And she is also an author. She wrote a book about her travels to Nepal.
We sometimes send copies of books to each other in the post that we think are interesting, so im sure she would be delighted to receive a copy of Eleven in french. She is always up for helping me out with things, and she is very interested in literature, so this would be great for her. (:
Posted by Andrew on May 23, 2011
I work with a Polish girl who, not one to disappoint when it comes to national stereotyping, is the hardest working person I know. She is a student on her gap year, studying something bizarre like Spanish and Tourism (I say bizarre only because I work for a medical supplies company which has nothing to do with either of those subjects), but she also works weekends in a cafe, frequently working seven full days a week. I would happily collect from your autumn gig in Oxford (if indeed that is still happening – strangely silent on that one since mentioning something about problems with it) except that by then she will be in Australia, where she is going to do the first six months of her final year’s study – she leaves in about four weeks. As it stands she is just a student, but she is so industrious that I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find her end up being successful in ways that would prove massively beneficial to your future career. Commissioning editor at Polish state TV, say. So I formally submit her for your consideration.
Posted by MusicalLottie on May 23, 2011
Ooh, I see what you mean about it being a bit condescending – but they did call you charming, so it’s not too bad
What is the difference between the American and British versions?
Totally unrelated, but I had an odd dream about you last night. One part of it was you confessing that yesterday’s entry had been posted a day late, so it actually was the blogless day, but nobody had noticed. Then there was another guy with you named Mark, doing the same degree course as you but at a Flemish university (yes I know Flemish is a language, but this was a dream), who was quite pleasant. There was a suggestion that you go to China, but the SatNav hadn’t the maps for China, and my suggestion of buying a map was a bit rubbish because any map of China would be absolutely huge. Plus the car you’d have to use would also be huge (diesel, and carrying loads of camera equipment for the BBC) so overall it was decided that going to China wasn’t a very good idea. I also recall trying several times to clean my glasses but failing.
Er, right. ~End of comment~
Posted by Rachael on May 23, 2011
here it is: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/books/new-books-will-allison-danzy-senna-banana-yoshimoto.html
I’m not sure I would call it a romantic comedy, and I can’t say it ever reminded me of Hugh Grant either but they did say that you are charming so thats nice.
Posted by Misha on May 23, 2011
@TalksToRainbows 16th July, Hyde Park 12..00 probably meeting by marble arch again, although i’d reccomend joining the forum, we don’t bite!
Also, last year we got organised as to who was bringing what, eg sandiwches, biscuits, bottles of pop and picnic blankets, which we;ll probably go again this year.
It’s a lovely event I can assure you.
Posted by custard_cream_dreams on May 23, 2011
I live in Sweden with a Swede… so if a Swedish version comes into being I could find a good home for it!
Posted by Laura-B on May 23, 2011
My American friend Jeff was recently lovely and bought me a very good book to read that he had enjoyed. It’d be nice if I could return the favour with an American copy of an even better book…?
(Nice bit of flattery can’t help, although I genuinely do think it’s excellent).
x
Posted by LisaD on May 23, 2011
In addition to being American (can’t wait to read the translation!) I just came from the opening weekend of a play I directed that will be touring the US and Canada this year. So while I personally am not all that influential, there is enormous potential to spread love for Eleven all over North America over the course of this tour. Also, as a theater gun-for-hire I am totally broke and would really appreciate not having to save up for this book anymore.
Posted by Kathryn on May 23, 2011
I’m Irish ish, does that count?
Like a few other people I’d be curious to read it in another language but unfortunately I’m not sure I have the necessary connections to lay claim to the French copy. I may just try amazon instead. Or maybe amazon.fr.
Posted by Steph on May 23, 2011
Hey Mark! I’m American! I actually already have a copy of the book, just read it, it was amazing, but I figured I’d comment anyway. I’ll gladly spread it to as many people as I can manage though.
Posted by Tibbs on May 23, 2011
Hmm. I am Canadian and know a few Americans. But I’m not likely to see any of them soon, and they’re not really what one would consider “influential”. I speak French, does that count?
Posted by alot of rachels on May 23, 2011
I’ll stop spamming the comments soon but I didn’t need to correct my initial post did I? I’ll blame end of exams tiredness.
Posted by alot of rachels on May 23, 2011
of not off.
also well done on the new York times review
Posted by alot of rachels on May 23, 2011
my very good friend is French. she’s a big fan of yours too and we’ve been to see you a couple of times.
also most of my family are French. I seem to know a lot of french people.
they’re not influential really but I could give it to one of them, ask for it back and give it to someone else and so on until my friend, her family and my family have read it.
(then I could compare it with the English version and try and learn french off it as I miss doing french.)
Posted by TalksToRainbows on May 23, 2011
Can I claim I know Nicolas Sarkozy, just so I can get a copy of the French version? I love reading through books in different languages – though the only other languages I could vaguely follow a plot line in are French and German … so maybe I could also pretend I know *pause for quick Google of German leaders …* Angela Merkel! I actually knew that … hmm … I know more about politics than I thought … worrying.
And, about the picnic, I don’t follow the forums so will it be posted in a blog when there are fixed date/time/placey things?
Posted by Jen on May 22, 2011
Brilliant – a mention on your blog – made my day..hehe…I love random coincidence/connections – what are the odds…fab…cya at the Manchester gig Melanie…and you of course Mark…exciting!
Back to the rest of your blog I have a friend who lives in Italy – her family own several language schools there – so although they are not prestigious/famous your book could become a sort after educational must have!That’s my best pitch – hehe!Jx ps Congrats on the New York Times mention!
Posted by Josh (the magnificent one) on May 22, 2011
Speaking of Eurovision…
yeah?
Posted by Cathy (traineeflorist) on May 22, 2011
The New York Bloody Times eh? Showing off doesn’t suit you Mark but on this occasion I’ll let you of as I would probably be doing the same…
My nephew’s wife is German, I’m sure she would love a copy of your book. She lives in Southampton, I don’t know if they sell many German books there … definitely not ones by Herr Mark Watson I expect …
Posted by Megan on May 22, 2011
I don’t know how well connected he is, but my friend Piotr, whom I visited last year, is the most well-travelled Pole I’ve ever met. He’s lived in Poland (born there, moved back last year) and has lived in Libya, Canada, Japan, and the US and has travelled all over Europe and SE Asia. And was with me when I saw the ‘English books’ section (two whole shelves!) in a Polish store and found that most volumes were by Jeremy Clarkson. Which is sad.
Polish is fun too. ‘z’ can be a word, as can ‘w’. And unlike other Slavic languages, they mostly went with adding-as-many-extra-letters-as-possible to make the funny noises that the Latin alphabet can’t provide well (instead of using exclusive accents or going Cyrillic). ALSO, Piotr and his girlfriend used to live in a neighbourhood of Gdańsk called Wrzeszcz, which I heard said dozens of time, but still can’t pronounce because I don’t think my mouth works that way.
Posted by Alex on May 22, 2011
Please do a dating service, I really am getting desperate. No, not desperate. Desperate is not good. I am very much free and available. *winning smile*
Something like that.
Posted by Kate B on May 22, 2011
Congratulations- the New York Times! Very impressive. A fantastic book with a fantastic author
Posted by ediecott on May 22, 2011
I’ll be meeting His Excellency, the Ambassador of Ethiopia next month. You got anything in Amharic??
Posted by Misha on May 22, 2011
You are, as ever, invited if you wish to join the picnic Mark. This will be the third get together we’ve had, and they’ve all been lovely so far.
This has got me thinking now, if I know anyone who speaks another language.
Abbii does German at uni, but I don’t think Nottingham really counts, she just speaks it, but doesn’t live there yet.
The only others I can think of, I don’t think speak the languages you’ve mentioned. Apart from maybe Maria, she might speak german. I should find out really.
This has been a ramble of a comment.