Last year I was lucky enough to be asked by New Writing North to go to the Gothenburg Book Fair in Sweden. I had a great time and made some new friends, including Jan Smedh from The English Bookshop in Uppsala, Sweden. Since then Jan and I have stayed in touch and he was kind enough to invite me over to his bookshop in Uppsala.
Jan arranged two events, the first was part of his regular Doctor Who night. I met his loyal and eccentric customers, many of them in costume (including a knitted Dalek dress!), and told them about my work on the Ice Warriors animation for the Doctor Who DVD range. The event was packed, and seemed to go down really well.
There was even Dalek themed cake. Afterwards Jan asked me to sign the stockroom door frame, alongside Sylvester McCoy and Robin Hobb! I was honoured! The shop itself is well worth a visit, crammed full of books and full of old fashioned bookshop charm.
The second event was in the nearby Upsalla Library where Jan interviewed me about my writing. A troupe of students from a nearby school had all read Sorrowline and were armed with some very in-depth questions. They were kind enough to buy copies of Timesmith as well!
Jan even took time out to take me on a grand walking tour of Uppsala, pointing out the town’s history – and it turns out everyone knows him! He’s living in the Swedish Bedford Falls! I had a really good time and Jan was the perfect host, he and his lovely wife, Isabella, kept me topped up with excellent home cooked Swedish delights! Hopefully it won’t be too long before I’m able to return to the beauty of Scandinavia.
