Me new plastic plates! Aren’t they just stunning?! Bought for the Peirene salon evening last Saturday in order to avoid another strawberry 
debacle. Very clever of me indeed, I thought. That was on Saturday morning. By 3pm I was in a state!
“I don’t have enough time. Everybody will arrive soon and I am not ready yet!”
My husband glanced over the laid-out buffet. “The food seems to be ready.”
“Yes, but all the other things!”
“You mean organizing the chairs for the reading?”
“Precisely, that can be a tricky business! And I still have to wash my hair”
By 4pm the first cancellation arrived “Our child has a cough!” Second: “Dog broke a leg”, but best was no 3 “Babysitter has cancelled because her flat got flooded!” (It’s true! I have permission from the person in question to quote this) I kept a straight face, mimed understanding, after all a couple of short notice cancellations are part of any event. I prepare for them in advance, always slightly overbook. Again I thought, clever me. But however much you prepare, still every cancellation feels like a personal blow.
Come on, woman, pull yourself together. By 7pm I am sitting on a chair starring at the kitchen clock. Sophie Hannah said she will be here at 7pm. The guests will arrive at 7.30. The clock handle moves forward. 7.01: No one will come. I won’t ever do it again. 7.02: Why am I doing it anyway. 7.05: I remember my friend who films herself doing funny one-woman-shows and puts them on Youtube, she’d like to get a TV show but would never do them live. 7.07: I suddenly realize why. If you do anything live – even a literary salon evening – you are up against the elements. And whatever it is – good or bad –it causes emotions and you have to deal with them right there. Clever friend of mine to stay flat in cyberspace. Silly me for venturing into the jungle of human interaction. 7.08: The phone rings. I jump from the chair, answer the phone.
“Can I speak to Maykee?” A woman’s voice.
“Meike” I correct the voice coldly. Correcting the pronunciation of my name is always my last line of defence. If nothing else, I can make people say my name right!
“Speaking,” I then say.
“This is Sophie Hannah.” My heart sinks instantaneously. She will cancel too – oh no!
“I am on my way, I will be there in about 15 minutes.”
And she did. And so did all the other 25 guests! And then the game changed. It was no longer a one-woman-show, but rather a play with many performers involved – the guests who made the effort of coming, willing to talk to each other, listening to the author, the author putting on display her work and herself, and the hostess gradually enjoying the party- so happy that this time all of the desert gets eaten up thanks to her new, durable and colourful plastic plates.
Tags: Sophie Hannah
Live Show - (literary event with Sohpie Hannah)
A guest’s perspective
I was so excited when I got an invite to the event!
I hadn’t read Sophie Hannah’s work before so I ordered some of her books and read them thoroughly.
I loved her thrillers, but wasn’t sure about the poems because I don’t like things that rhyme.
A reading in a private house?
What to wear?
I could bring along a guest, which was brilliant. So my beloved was dragged along.
I was so nervous we were in Archway at 6 (the reading started at 7.30).
My beloved was very pleased about that because we had ample time to go a pub.
We know the ‘Whittington and Cat’ from more sinful youthful days, and at least the pub hadn’t changed - it was like being in a time warp from the 1990s.
It’s a old-fashioned traditional Irish pub with many Irish country accents.
There is a brown crinkly mummy of a cat in a glass box close to the ladies loo.
And the publican who hadn’t changed at all addressed my beloved as ‘young man’. That was a great start to the evening.
We were at Peirene Press front door at 7.10 but my beloved said that it was much too early. ‘Meike will be busy preparing things.’
‘Rubbish, I said. ‘She is well organised.’
But then we spotted someone in a car who was reading a book.
My beloved said that this was probably another guest.
That’s why we walked up the road and down the other road and there was a breathtaking view of London at our feet (of course I had forgotten to bring my camera). Then we walked up and down some other roads.
We rang the doorbell at 7.25 just when two other guests walked up the garden path behind us.
Good timing!
Meike opened the door herself and welcomed us. She looked stunning and made us feel at ease at once. What a lovely personal welcome. I wasn’t nervous any more and felt at home at once.
There was lovely wine, and more lovely wine and really friendly and interesting guests. It was quite an international crowd.
The reading was upstairs. Sophie Hannah was excellent. And I suddenly enjoyed poems that rhyme!
Sophie Hannah is a relaxed professional performer. There was so much laughter.
There was room for questions, and the author answered them thoroughly and with patience.
I LOVED the evening. It was very special. I have been to many events and readings but this was literature added with a good sprinkling of warmth and personal welcome.
A perfect event.
Thank you so much.
Sigi, what a lovely note!