We’re always looking for new ways to promote what we do and publicise our authors’ work. Recently, we’ve been teaming up with local independent bookshops, putting on events where we come along, talk to their audience about what Ignite does and how it first happened, sing the praises of our writers and read short excerpts from their books to whet the appetite, and have a quick Q&A session, all with the aim of having some fun and selling some books.
Last night we took the short trip up into South Staffordshire and pulled the Ignite charabanc to a halt outside Press Books & Coffee* in Hednesford, a beautiful independent bookshop which has two thriving book groups, sells excellent coffee, equally excellent cake, and excellent books. It’s an example of why local, independent bookshops rock. Really, what more do you need?
The audience who came along last night – and it’s quite an achievement to get an audience on a cold January evening – listened, asked questions, laughed, applauded (all of these at just the right moment) and hung around for a natter once we’d finished. They also bought more books than we’d dared to hope we’d sell, which we feel is proof we’d done something right. Everyone went home happy.
Our Ignite roller banner (see below) got its first run out, too. It looks magnificent, though we say so ourselves, and you can see its magnificence close-up and personal at Wolverhampton Literature Festival this weekend. We’ll be at the publishers’ fair in the Art Gallery all day on Friday 2nd; and on Saturday 3rd we’ll be chatting to our author Glyn Brown about her book Dancing Barefoot in the Arena Theatre at 3.15pm – we absolutely recommend that as being an event well worth putting in your diary. Come along, buy some books, and say hi! We look forward to seeing you there.

*If you live in the area and don’t know of Press Books already,
a) where have you been?
b) you should really check it out. It’s great.