TALKING HEADS

On a freezing winter’s night in Sydney I spoke at Newtown Library last night for an event for the library and Better Read than Dead bookshop.

Josephine Pennicott nervouc just before speaking

I’m always nervous before public-speaking. Like a lot of authors I prefer my characters and words to represent me. This time around I used hypnotic CDs by Marisa Peer in preparation weeks beforehand.

Flowers given at the end of the talk

They must have worked because despite feeling the adrenaline kickin before I started, everyone present said how relaxed I was.

The talk went very well and it was lovely to see the room packed out. I signed quite a few books afterwards and then headed to the Bank Hotel with a few friends to celebrate Poet’s Cottage over a Thai meal.

with good friends at the Bank hotel

Here we enjoyed lively conversation of books, real-estate, ghosts, tarot and magic. The Bank Hotel is always special to me because I met my husband there.

Josephine Pennicott with Mary and Michelle. Very relieved it is over.

I was very touched by my friends support of my book. So many people came to hear my hour-long talk about my personal journey and my road to Pencubitt.

Last Friday evening, I went to see Anna Funder talk to a crowd  at a very full Seymour Centre.

Anna was eloquent, intelligent and elegant  as she described her experiences writing All That I Am. I found it fascinatingto hear her life journey and to put the jig-saw pieces together which led to her writing All That I am. And Anna herself was very gracious when she signed the book.

As I waited in the signing queue I overhead this from two men: ‘What did you think of that?’

‘Oh it was alright. But I prefer her book to hearing her talk about it.’

Do you enjoy hearing writers talk about their work? Leave me a comment and let me know which writers have held you spellbound.  Do you feel the writer should be a mystery and allow their creations to represent them? Is the enjoyment of a book lost if you find out too much about the author?

Perhaps Daphne du Maurier was correct when she said, ‘Writers should be read but neither seen nor heard.’

2 Responses

  1. pinry August 7, 2012 / 3:18 am

    Hello Lovely! So glad your event went so well. You look very glamorous and poised, and I’m sure you kept everyone spellbound.
    I think that a book should stand on it’s own, but am always interested in hearing about a writer’s background, influences and inspirations.

  2. josephinetalepeddler August 7, 2012 / 9:37 am

    Dear Jennifer, thank you for your kind words. I think the hypnotic tape was so good I don’t even recall talking. I love hearing writer’s talk but I do agree with you that the books should stand on their own as well. Hope all is well in your world. You are often in my thoughts. xx

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *