What a thrill this will be…

No this isn’t an April Fool’s joke, though I feared it might be when my wonderful publicist Frances Bedford proposed it.  On April 1, 2009, I’ll be sharing the stage with fellow Leacock winner Paul Quarrington for a reading as part of the respected Grimsby Author Series.  I’d have been thrilled to be in the same room with Paul Quarrington, let alone on the same program.  Without getting too maudlin, I’ve been a diehard Quarrington fan for many years.  I’ve mentioned before in this blog (I think) that I’ve collected first editions of all of Paul’s novels (years before I started writing TBLP), including his rare first novel The Service.  King Leary and The Home Game are among my favourites.  I’ve actually met Paul a couple of times though I suspect I conducted myself like a gushing fan and I’m sure he will not remember (which may not be a bad thing).  He’s a friend of Mike Tanner, another novelist with whom I play ball hockey (well, Mike plays, I just run around and try to check him in an exhausting exercise in futility).

I’m looking forward to all of the readings and speaking gigs that have sprung up for the coming months, but April 1, 2009 will be special.  I hope Paul won’t mind signing an armload of his books from my library…