This Book is Funny has been taking shape for a while now, but after a presentation to the Press Association’s Children’s Book Group it seemed right to put it out there.
The scheme is in its infancy. We’re planning to launch with a small-ish trial in mid-April. The trial will be spread out over a limited group of libraries, schools and bookshops, and the idea is simple. We ask people to create displays of funny books, utilising our stickers and posters – the aim being to drive readers to funny books that might not get the press or interest other types of books receive.
This is a philanthropic scheme, which is inclusive and hopefully benefit all involved, from readers to authors to bookshops and libraries.There’s a lot of good will out there, and a lot of people wishing it to succeed, so I’m doing all I can in a very busy year to make it the success it could be.
So, this is a trial to begin with. The posters and stickers are the key to it all, tied to our reviews and newsletter, and we need to see how they work out in the wild to gauge its potential.
If the response is good, then we’ll seek funding to spread it nationwide.
So now you know what I’ve been dreaming of over the past few months!
I think this is a really good idea to encourage people to read more and find a wider range of books. You came to our group in Tonbridge and I really love your book The mousehunter. It has a really good twist in the middle. It would be great if you could do another session for the home ed group in Tonbridge or Tunbridge Wells.
Lily (age 10)