Despite all our email problems yesterday, a very exciting email managed to battle its way through. It was from The Bookseller telling us that we’ve been short-listed in The Bookseller Retail Awards in the Walker Books Children’s Independent of the Year category. We are very surprised, and very pleased and really looking forward to the awards ceremony and dinner at The Natural History Museum in September.
So far, 2009 has been a brilliant year for us and although sometimes things are a bit chaotic in the office and despite the fact that I’m so snowed under with paperwork at times that I get a bit over-whelmed, I’m really proud of what we’re building here and of all the people who work with us. Malcolm and I truly have the best staff in the world.
Today however, I need to stop wondering what on earth I’m going to wear to the awards in September (Malcolm’s fine as he’ll just drag his trusty kilt out) and practising my gracious loser face (because we’re thrilled to have got this far and have no expectations of actually winning) and get down to the more practical issues of buying a till for the gallery; sorting out the continuing problem with our email (our hosting company, SupaNames, really aren’t doing themselves any favours by being so utterly hopeless); send out the royalty statements to my lovely authors; wrestle with some forms that need to be sent to The Revenue; invite our shop mailing list to a preview of the exhibition next week; test the burglar alarm at the new shop and call one of my illustrators about an article on The Fidra Gallery that The Scotsman are planning.
I was busy doing my gracious loser face when Bethany were awarded Charity of the Year, it took a little while to sink in that they were actually saying our name!
Dinner in the Natural History Museum sounds worth while even if you don’t win. Just watch out for T Rex trying to nick your dinner!
Congratulations … again! I got my Bookseller daily bulletin in earlier and noticed your latest nomination! Best of luck with it all!
Perhaps a tasteful dress made from book covers Vanessa? :-) Mmm…sorry, if Malcolm is wearing his kilt then I think you need to dress accordingly.
Congratulations anyway!
I once had a scientific conference dinner in the main entrance hall of the Natural History Museum and it was an absolutely fantastic experience. As far as I can recall none of the prehistoric animals got fed.
Many congratulations on all the exciting news!
Many congratulations, Vanessa (and all at Fidra). I do hope you win the award, but even if you don’t, you’re my children’s independent of the year.
The best book launch I’ve ever been to (Ben Elton’s first novel) was held in the Whale Room of the Natural History Museum. When you’re there, if you go and look at all the fossils they have on show (which used to be just to the right of the entrance, in great big racks but have probably been moved by now) then you might well find some which were found in the Headon beds, on the Isle of Wight, which were excavated from my parents’ garden about twenty years ago. It was all very exciting; the fossils that were found were amazing; but Ma and Pa lost about ten feet of their cliffs as a result of the dig.
Heck yes, yay you all the way! Keeping all digits crossed for you!
Many congratulations. Well done.