Hi everyone, I’m back! Yesterday I got Internet hooked up, Directv installed – all the necessities of life in place. However, I left my laptop at work so missed posting this week’s Pryday question. But, I think Prydurday will work just as well! Here is this week’s question:
Have you ever met one of your favorite authors? Were they what you expected? Was it a memorable experience? If you haven’t met one of your favorites, who would you like to meet?
I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite scribes. I live in Arizona and it’s not a frequent stop on author tours, at least authors I am interested in. We do have a fabulous independent bookstore called Changing Hands that brings in some big names from time to time, but I’ve never attended one of these events. I’m not really sure why I haven’t gone – I should! I’ve been to a few author signings of mostly Arizona-based authors, including Stephenie 
Meyer the author of the Twilight series. She came to one of the libraries in my system about a month after Twilight came out. I was intrigued by the premise of the book and bought a copy, read it in a few days and attended her signing where I was one of 15 people in the audience. Can you imagine that? Ms. Meyer was very gracious, answering questions with aplomb and re-telling the story of how she wrote Twilight during the evenings after she had put her 3 sons to bed. I know Stephenie Meyer is an author people love to hate, but she obviously knows how to reel people in with a good story and I give her credit for that. I never finished reading the entire series, but I am keeping my signed copy of Twilight.
Who would I like to meet if given the opportunity? I’d love to attend author appearances by Sarah Waters, Colm Toibin, Jennifer Egan, Ian Rankin, Frances Mayes, Lisa See, Helen Humphreys, A.S. Byatt, Ian McEwan…just to name a few.
How about you? Who have you met? Who would you love to meet?
Not much reading has been happening here at Gudrun’s Tights as I was preparing to move, moving, and recovering from moving. I hope to be back soon with a book review – I am so looking forward to the long weekend when I hope to make progress with a few books on my TBR. Have a lovely weekend!
A Certain Fondness 
I met author David Liss a couple of weeks ago at a books signing, he was very nice — and our daughters are in the same school! I bought his newest book and he offered to come to our book group if we discuss it, which I thought was great.
I also met children’s author Grace Lin at a book signing a couple of years ago and she was just lovely.
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Wow, what a small world! Do you think your book group will read the Liss book?
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Although there is much to recommend the reading of forgotten books, it carries the drawback that the authors are usually no longer alive. After almost one year of blogging I have only reviewed a single book by an author who is alive, and someone signing his name left a comment on my blog which I enjoyed.
I have met Clive James at a book signing, and he was as interesting as I expected him to be. He is one of the few people I would willingly wait in line to meet.
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I suspect a lot of readers would rather meet authors who are no longer living than contemporary ones. Maybe that will be this week’s question…
Very cool that you got to meet one of the people you would willingly brave the crowds for!
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Few authors come to Cornwall, but it doesn’t bother me too much because I’m one of those people who can never think of the right thing to say when I have an actual human being in front of me.
But I have enjoyed corresponding with one or two who have commented when I wrote about their books.
I did meet one local author, without knowing it. I knew that Janie Bolitho lived near me, but it was only when I picked up one of her books and recognised her photograph that I realised we had crossed paths a few times, in the library and around town . Sadly by that time I made the link she had died.
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How lovely, yet sad that you ran into Janie Bolitho but didn’t know it!
I think I feel the same way you do about meeting authors – I get awkward around them.
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I ve meet few writers ,ben okri ,owen sheers, ,stuart evers ,santiago rocgailico also meet a number of translators ,I d love to meet gunter grass ,peter nadas and a number of latin american writers ,all the best stu
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How wonderful that you’ve been able to meet so many fabulous authors!
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A very opportune question, since I get to meet Louise Penny tomorrow at a book signing, and I’m so looking forward to it. Since moving to Houston, I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of my favorite mystery authors, through our wonderful Murder by the Book, including Deborah Crombie, Rhys Bowen and Deanna Raybourn. But the highlight for me was meeting Dorothy Dunnett in 2000 – I could barely manage hello. I hope I came across as a fan rather than a half-wit.
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Oh, I’d love to meet Deborah Crombie – I really enjoy her mysteries!
I’m sure you didn’t come off as a half-wit with Dorothy Dunnett! Authors must be used to their readers becoming tongue tied around them.
Have a great time at the Louise Penny signing!
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