So, now I have returned from my second excursion to Scotland as a published author! It was an absolute delight from start to finish – especially yesterday, when I was taken out by the Scottish Book Trust to visit two schools as part of their Outreach programme. In fact, this post (or a link to it!) may be appearing on the Trust’s brand new blog – glee! – so if you’re reading this from over there, a very happy Hello to you!

As you can probably tell from the frankly bloodcurdling smile above I, um, rather enjoy events, actually. 😉 Even the prospect of what, for me, is quite an early start (7.45am!) didn’t faze me – especially when the Trust’s supreme ninjas Jasmine and Chris picked me up in their spectacularly spiffy new bookmobile! Expertly placing me entirely at their mercy by cunningly plying me with Jelly Babies, Jasmine and  Chris whisked me away from Edinburgh and off to our first destination, where I spoke to around a hundred students from St Anne’s Primary School and Annebank Primary School, in Ayr.

This was a brilliant session. Excellent questions flowed thick and fast almost right from the start – which is just how I like it. In fact the students’ questions were so good that the hour flew past, with time for only one reading from Tim before it was back to the bookmobile! Following up their earlier jelly-based offensive Jasmine and Chris delivered me a stunning knockout blow with a baked potato for lunch, and by the time I’d recovered we were at St Cuthbert’s Primary School for the second engagement of the day.

Now, erm, before I say any more I think a word of warning is appropriate. As people who follow my blog will be perhaps all too aware(!) I tend to put a lot of wallop into my talks, and for reasons that even I don’t fully understand the results often seem to involve me waving my arms about like a big, black-clad baboon. But this…

Wow… it looks like I’m either about to take off, or burst into song! 😉

Well, I was excited. I was spending the day being driven from place to place like a rock star, before speaking to – and answering superb questions from – some vivacious, mannerly and thoroughly charming young people. I’ve got to say, in the words of Christopher Boone from Mark Haddon’s unforgettable The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, it was a super good day.

The only drawback of this ‘being an author’ caper, it seems to me, is that occasionally, it’s true, one is expected to produce a new book. That time has come again for me, so it’s back to the grindstone! But in the mean time my thanks to Jasmine and Chris, and everyone I met and spoke to, for their kindness and hospitality. This second Scottish excursion has been enormous fun. Here’s looking forward to the next one! 🙂

--------------------------

Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Me and THE WEBSPHINX would love to hear from you! Drop us a line at the Tim, Defender of the Earth Guestbook for current or Tim stuff, or The Black Tattoo Guestbook for Black Tat stuff. First (or demon-!) names only, please. 😉