I had a Book Reading date night! Let me tell you all about it By Azu Ishiekwene
(This review by, Mr. Ishiekwene, was posted on Saturday, July 27, 2024)
Hi !
How has your week been? You don’t want to ask me!
LOL! Wednesday felt unique and exciting. I woke up feeling like I had a dating appointment.
If you had one recently, you’ll remember that excitingly foolish feeling of nerves and butterflies, right?
My first was so long ago that I thought the years had swatted the remaining butterflies – until Wednesday!
One month after the public presentation of my new book, Writing for Media and Monetising It, I had the author’s reading! I had attended book readings before, of course. The last was the one by Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi for his book, The Road Never Forgets.
It’s one of the best autobiographies I have read.
But I have never hosted an author’s reading! When Rovingheights Bookstore offered to host me for a reading at its Garki, Abuja store, it felt a bit like dating, except that, in this instance, it was a rendezvous with my work!
The store was not packed – I guess sometimes it’s OK to have not-so-packed spaces for such intimate encounters. Channels TV’s top anchor and bibliophile, Maupe Ogun-Yusuf, was the moderator.
The co-founder, Eyinade Adedotun, who I met only a few days earlier, was there as well, as were Adebayo Bodunrin of AIT, Chinyere Fred-Adegbulugbe, Omolade Okunola (who dragged her friend that was closing from work!), my assistant, Julius Ogar and secretary, Ngozi Ibe, Bernice Abraham, book curator and writer, Chinelo Chikelu. My new media coach, Sam Ossai, was there, along with his cousin and my son, Emeke.
It must feel awkward to be dating in front of a crowd, right? Especially since I also created a link for those who couldn’t come in person to view! This must be the world’s first public dating! Who cares!
I teased out passages from chapters 9, 13 and 15 and read them: passages on AI, making money and the interviews with Pulitzer Prize Winner Dele Olojede and icon Toyosi Ogunseye.
My heart was racing throughout, but I kept my cool for the one-and-a-half hours the dalliance lasted. I finished with several affectionate plasters of Post-it notes all over my “date.” I think you should see the video. Perhaps it might offer new tricks – if you’re just planning your literary dating!
By the way, are you making any reading list this holiday? I’ll recommend Writing for Media and Monetising It, as your companion!
#writeandmonetise.
