Perfect day really. Parked the car outside the canal ring and cycled
into the centre. Met Chanou and Eric outside and we got in on time to get good seats in the second row, right behind where DM his very self would sit later (briefly) before the interview begun. Haha, we're writer groupies, how embarassing.
He obviously had a cold as he was necking Fisherman's Friends and sniffing a bit. He sat for about 10 seconds and then jumped up saying he had to go and put on his 'writer's jacket'. He appeared wearing this item after a brief interlude. Dark corduroy. Yep, writer's jacket right enough. Mind you, he soon took it off to reveal his blotchily faded purple t-shirt again as he was too hot. This faintly disreputable item was actually beautifully colour co-ordinated with his socks and the dress the gorgeous Dutch version of Helen Baxendale who was interviewing him was wearing - I was very impressed. The whole interview was visually excellent really - they both perched casually on the beautiful museum piece of a desk, the sunlight came down from a top window at exactly the right moment to light up his book when he read from it. But of course readers don't primarily go to 'see' writers, they go to listen to their words of wisdom. Or something... Actually I'd prefer him to just stay at home and write lots more of his wonderful books but ach, if he is gadding about the Netherlands I'm more than willing to be lured along to such events. He appears to be sUch an nice man. How can someone so 'nice' write such wonderful stuff? None of the prima donna nonsense of La Winterson. He genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself. Afterwards he signed my book and the programme of
Wake I took along. I told him of my plan to re-read his first 4 novels in the 'right' order first before starting on it and he had a wee think and then said that actually I'd be better to read Jacob de Zoet first as it was chronologically the furthest back in time as far as the ongoing stories are concerned. Hmm... of course I didn't think to ask him what his recommended order for reading the rest is then. I'll see if I can work out some sort of logic for that.
Afterwards there was still half an hour before the museum closed and I had a look round (Chanou and Eric had been there
before and so went off out into the sunshine). On leaving I went to write in the guestbook and saw that yet another
Famous Writer had just left the building... According to the man at the desk he's in the country at the moment to record the voice-over for the English language version of the Beagle programme which is going to be a condensed version of the Dutch programmes.
