This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
By Emma Kingston
Picture the scene. I am wandering the streets of Notting Hill and the birds are chirping merrily, despite the fact it is 6.00pm on a January evening and the sky is pitch black. I am imagining myself residing in practically every house I pass as I stride down Kensington Park Road en route to a very important engagement – attending my very first book launch.
There would, of course, be many benefits to such an idyllic relocation, but chief amongst these – after attending Sophia Tobin’s book launch at Lutyens & Rubinstein – would be the close proximity to an enthralling independent bookshop.
I could have spent hours scouring the glorious floor-to-ceiling books on display (and I fully intend to make a return trip to do just that), but it was the launch of The Silversmith’s Wife that had brought me to these swanky parts and I was conscious that my attention should be undivided for the matter at hand.
So, after some initial timid lurking on the periphery (or should I say, by the books) with a glass of wine and a cheese straw, I had the opportunity to chat with lots of lovely people from Simon & Schuster and Sophia herself.
There was lots of mingling and chatting in a very warm and inviting community. Sophia, her agent Jane and editor Claire all said a few words. It was inspiring to see how passionate anyone involved with The Silversmith’s Wife was. The words in the book may have been the craft of Sophia, but it was clearly a labour of love for all.The event was the perfect midweek evening winter warmer; the only thing missing was a warm fire by which I am assured is the best location to read The Silversmith’s Wife. I did get my hands on a signed copy, which will have pride of place on my bookshelf just as soon as I have had the opportunity to devour it.
My first foray into the world of book launches showed me that every book has two stories – the story that it tells and the story behind the book itself, from idea to publication. It seemed particularly fitting that I attended such an event on the day that Sophia’s last Behind the Scenes at a Publishing House column was published here on Novelicious. It was great to witness the final piece of the publishing puzzle at the book launch before The Silversmith’s Wife was released into the world the next day.
The event was also a very welcome reminder to push myself. Sophia knew that she would be a writer from the age of seven. She made it happen, she got her ideas down on paper and lovingly crafted them into a novel. That’s what hopes and dreams are all about, taking control of them and making them happen.
What dream are you going to take another step towards today?
The Silversmith's Wife by Sophia Tobin is out now.