Patrick Ness Signing

Firstly, can I say that I love Foyles. Seriously have a passion for that bookstore.
I do have a special love for Waterstone's but wow. Foyles.


The Patrick Ness event was at Foyles in Central London and while browsing the shelves in the Fiction section beforehand, I kept finding all these books that I know about that I am desperate to read BUT CAN NEVER FIND. Like the whole Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, I want to read these American books but I don't have access to them here in England. But THEY'RE ALL IN FOYLES. That's where they keep them!
Sorry. Moving on. 


Anyway, I went to a signing with Patrick Ness and other authors in July 2010 and loved it as my first favour of a book signing (Click here for my post on that).
I know he does a lot of signings so I was keeping an eye out for any ones in London. I live on the outskirts of London so it only takes 20/30 minutes to get to the Central London. However, despite LIVING HERE, he does a lot of book events for festivals in places like Bath, Oxford and Edinburgh - not so close to London. 


So you can imagine my surprise and excitement when I found out he was launching the paperback of A Monster Calls at Foyles in...Central London. I reserved tickets within a day and was ready to go.


So on the 1st February, I went up to London after college and went to this event...with my dad (only person available to accompany me - he didn't mind - he found it entertaining). The event was incredibly interesting and it was great to find out about how Patrick Ness writes and thinks of his books. Jim Kay, the illustrator for A Monster Calls was also there and I found him equally interesting to hear what he had to say about his extraordinary drawings. 

The stage - the frames hold the drawings from the book by Jim Kay

After the interview and a few questions from the audience, Patrick Ness and Jim Kay started to sign the books from those in the audience. It's funny because in the queue when I was watching the people taking pictures, gushing over how much they love the book/drawings, I could tell which ones were bloggers, which ones just love books and especially Patrick Ness and those who would later write a story on the event. Exhibit A: the lady who was in front of me asked me to take a picture on her iPhone with both Patrick Ness and Jim Kay and I thought to myself as I pressed the shutter button 'I bet she's a blogger'. The next day whilst browsing Patrick Ness' Twitter, I found her photograph with him, followed the link to her own Twitter page and *dun dun dun* found her blog link. Off the subject but it was just funny to look at people and know what they're going to do afterwards. 

Anyway, back to the event. I am nervous when I am by myself talking to people I don't really know personally. So an author and illustrator aren't exactly the scariest people alive, it's still weird talking to them thinking 'They write/draw?' I don't know, authors to me don't look like authors. 

Patrick Ness asked me if I'd read the book (which I hadn't...yet) and I said no but that I'd read his other books and thought this was justification to come. So he replied he was glad I liked his other books and hope I enjoyed my evening. And that was it. 

I liked that he appreciated my appreciation for him. I really like it when authors are modest. 

Jim Kay had a equally thrilling conversation with me (I make my point that I don't know how to speak to authors/illustrators). He asked me how I was and excused his inky hands. I found them quite funny actually, the ink looked more like pen ink that print ink so it looked like he should be Patrick Ness...
His drawings are stunning I admit, I love a certain picture of a clock - it's just so detailed and looks to real on paper. 

So that was my signing with them. It was a great, funny evening. I really love books. And authors. And Foyles...

Please ignore my lovely red face - it was a bit hot in there &
had been awake since 6.30am

The paperback of A Monster Calls comes out the 2nd February 2012. 

Click here for Patrick Ness' website. 

Click here for Jim Kay's website

Click below for the links to my reviews of the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness

    - A New World (#0.5)

  - The Ask and the Answer (#2)

  - Monsters of Men (#3)