At 9.20pm exactly on Monday the 5th of July 2010, I got to read ‘The Exorcism’ ,one of the stories from my short-story collection. Pause. I got to read, out loud, for the first time in my life one of my own creations. I got to read, out loud, to members of the public, complete strangers, something that I conceived and birthed myself. Needless to say, this was a milestone in my life.
About Oxfam Bookfest 2010 readathon
The 2010 Oxfam Bookfest will launch with our fantastic readathon event involving a day and night of continuous reading aloud by authors, creative writing students and Oxfam volunteers at Oxfam’s flagship Bookshop in Marylebone on 5th July. The readathon is intended to celebrate the central role that books play in people’s lives and the impact that buying a book from Oxfam can have on the lives of poor people around the world.
Last year’s Bookfest resulted in a 40% increase in book donations to Oxfam, and in the months following Bookfest the charity made £400,000 through the sale of books. Oxfam is hoping that this year’s Bookfest will be just as successful. Over the course of a fortnight more than 500 Bookfest events will take place in Oxfam Bookshps and regular Oxfam shops, and in libraries, community centres and other venues around the UK, featuring well-known authors and a host of activities for the whole family.
Venue: Oxfam Bookshop, 91 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4RB
If that’s not enough to believe me, here are the rules the readers were sent:
1. Please can you arrive 10-15 minutes before your reading. A member of the Oxfam team will be there to meet you
2. The readathon will take place in a specially created event space at the front of the shop and there is seating available while you wait
3. Please feel free to listen to other readers
4. A microphone will be available and if you choose to use it, your reading will be heard on the sound system throughout the shop
5. A readers’ armchair is provided to sit in
6. Or you can stand to read
7. Please begin your reading by stating which book you’re reading from: ‘I’m going to read from….’ and continue to read aloud up to 20 minutes [there will be a big clock for you to check the time or we will tell you]
8. As you come to the final paragraph of your reading could you please raise your hand or signal that you have almost finished
9. The next reader will then come to stand beside you. Please finish the reading by stating ‘and the last word of my reading is…’
10.The next reader will then take over reading aloud
And finally…if you still don’t believe me, here’s the photographic evidence. Ta daaaa!
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