After I Launched You: Alison Mercer and the launch of 'After I Left You' at Mostly Books

Second chances - and facing up to the past so you live in the present - are two of the big themes in Alison Mercer's second novel 'After I Left You'.

Alison was at Mostly Books on Thursday to celebrate its launch. Friends, family, fans and colleagues listened as she explained the genesis of the book, how it been in her mind as an idea for years.

But the story of Anna and how she comes to terms with bruising realities in her past, was the one her editor most wanted to see after a meeting to discuss publication of Alison's first novel 'Stop the Clock', in what Alison described as being 'like the most scary job interview ever'.

Alison thanked her husband, Ian, for his support in giving her time to write, to her supportive team at Transworld and also the support of her work colleagues and other writing friends. There were at least two extremely well-known authors in the audience, as well as editors, agents, bloggers - including the Abingdon Blogger.

She read from the opening scene, one in which Anna bumps into an old flame. Her attire, the bridesmaid dress in her hands, makes this excruciating, a bad-dream sequence that she would never have wanted to happen.

In a similar way to 'Stop the Clock' the action catches up with university friends after time has passed and analyses how their lives have fared - who made good on early promise, whose marriages are on the rocks, who is no longer even around. The Oxford setting ensures plenty of local appeal, but the themes - and the writing - ensure that appeal is universal. But the style has a definite darker side - and a creeping sense of unease builds imperceptibly as past history slowly bubbles to the surface.

'After I Left You' features a compelling mix of characters, back stories seamlessly woven in and will appeal to anyone who ever attended a reunion and couldn't help but measure up against all their old protagonists.

For Anna, life started off well, heading to Oxford from an ordinary background and falling in with a glittering group of privileged friends. Bumping into old-flame, Victor, seventeen years after she last saw him is painful enough. But Anna must brave seeing all her old group again as she tries to lay to rest the time she has not ever really moved on from - the time when she realised her friends were not all they had seemed...

Once again the weather played ball allowing us to hold another magical evening in the garden. Following the launch of her debut in 2012, we were honoured to host the launch of 'After I Left You', to welcome so many great supporters of Alison to the shop - and a huge thank you to Transworld for supporting their author and the event so strongly.

(Find out much more about Alison and her writing here)

Alison is - as the publishing world demands - already writing her next book. So we are definitely looking forward to another launch event. As Dorothy Parker said "I hate writing, but I love having written". And we love having launched a new book!

World Book Night 2012: The Unlikely Writing Journey of Rachel Joyce

On World Book Night - an evening of bookish celebration around the country - Abingdon Library was packed to welcome debut novelist Rachel Joyce, author of 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry'. The event was the culmination of the 'Oxfordshire World Book Night Read', put together with the energy and enthusiasm of Oxfordshire librarians and publisher Transworld.

The idea was simple: reading groups around Oxfordshire received proof copies to read and discuss ahead of the event, and other Oxfordshire libraries hosted book events on the night too with a variety of authors. It seems to have been a great success.

 

We've loved recommending 'Harold' in the shop (although the title sometimes morphs into the author's own name: we have described it variously as 'Harold Joyce', or 'Rachel Fry', or some other mash-up. Having met the author now, this may become worse). It's one of those perfect books (for us) that appeals to a wide range of readers, but has real emotional depth and ensures Harold stays in the mind for a long time after the book ends.

The physical book itself is very desirable: Transworld have produced a gorgeous hardback, particularly in its choice of understated yet pitch-perfect illustrations at the start of each chapter. (There were appreciative comments on this from the audience).

Rachel has the endearing quality that I think the best writers have of seeming slightly bemused about all the fuss, as though she looked up from writing one day and realised all these people were there wanting to discuss it. Fittingly for a book about a compelling journey, her own route to published author was both fascinating and revealing.

Rachel's background is writing for radio, and has been hugely successful in that field (you can read her impressive radio CV here). She described how writing for radio requires skills honed for telling a story in 7,000 words, and the need for 'hooks' when writing over several episodes (and much bigger hooks if episodes run over the weekend!). Again, as with the best writers, there's a feeling of a long apprenticeship, and so no surprise perhaps that a debut should feel so assured.

Neither is it surprising that 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' grew out of a radio play, one written initially after her own father was diagnosed with cancer. The initial motivation was, she felt, to try to keep her father alive, and though he never saw the book, it is more poignant when, at the start of the novel, when Harold resolves to walk to where an old friend, Queenie, lies dying, he writes "I will keep walking, and you must keep living."

 

Rachel described the act of writing as something she has to do, and despite plenty of obstacles to this (four children, 'nuff said) she described writing as "knitting in your head". This 'knitting' gets done wherever convenient (even in at the cinema whilst on chaperoning duties) and it seems her family also keep her on the straight and narrow, with her husband intervening when trips to research the route threatened to get out of hand ("you're writing fiction, not a travelogue!").

(Following on from learning a little about how Frank Cottrell-Boyce writes, maybe a chaotic household should be seen as a pre-requisite for writers?)

Rachel spoke quietly - but passionately - about her love of the countryside, a plea for map-reading (as opposed to sat-navs) and how these passions end up woven into the books.

 

We were delighted to be involved, it was a wonderful evening, and again shows the magic that can happen when bookshops and libraries come together - particularly to celebrate such a splendid book with a delightful author.

 

Kudos to the library staff who came out in force (and had to stand at the back) but mostly to Alison Barrow from Transworld who chaired the evening so brilliantly, and Rachel herself - go Harold!


We have signed copies of 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' at Mostly Books. Buy a copy through PayPal and have it delivered post-free within the UK here:

Purchase a copy from Mostly Books:

UK price (inc postage) £12.99 GBP Outside UK (inc postage) £17.99 GBP

Alternatively, reserve a copy in-store for collection on 01235 525880
or contact books@mostly-books.co.uk