LADIES LITERA-TEA RULES!

 

Litera-Tea Bookstall staff - L to R: Tanya Gribben, Virginia Dale, Mary-Liz Corbett, Marnie Prickett

AND OH, THE CAKES!

I had a BRILLIANT Sunday, 19 August.

Random House flew me from Wellington to Auckland, and I had the privilege of sitting next to a famous jazz bass clarinetist -- Bennie Maupin.

He was lovely.  We talked about Sidney Bechet and the influence of Dixie on modern jazz, and all the various places in the world where jazz is played.  And he gave me a book (by someone else) and signed it.  I told him the signature was worth more than the book.

Then I met bubbly Helen Heath (poet and publicist for Victoria University Press) and we took our taxi to the wonderful LADIES LITERA-TEA.

We were early.  Which meant we had an early scan of the CAKES and also a half-hour with Carole Beu's truly terrific team.  Friends arrived, it was buzzing before it even started, and then the first team (including me) paraded onto the stage.

From the very first presentation, it was alive. The audience was great, the line-up varied and always thought-provoking, amusing, attractive, beautiful ... And wonderfully moderated by the Carole herself.

A terrific programme, met many really great people, and signed lots of books.  What more could want want?

(Getting home, actually. Well, it was the most exciting take-off from Auckland ever.  Gusts, tarmac awash, plane skidding from side to side, a relief to get in the air.  And we arrived in Wellington after a very bumpy flight illuminated by lightning that flickered along the wings -- for once I wished I didn't have a window seat!)

But that Ladies Litera-tea!  Totally rewarding, totally memorable.  As Helen said, let's write another book quick, so we can have that fun again.

And here is the run-down from whoever posted it to BeattiesBookBlog:

Poet Paula Green was in the packed audience at Sunday afternoon’s LADIES’ LITERA-TEA: “I loved the balance, the energy, the conversation. It was a terrific line-up and I came away feeling inspired.”

Inspiration seems to be what many members of the audience went away with, judging by the positive feedback the team at The Women’s Bookshop have been receiving. People loved the variety of authors and topics – and the delicious afternoon tea!

‘Enthralling, inspiring, brilliantly diverse’ are recurring words in the many emails arriving at the bookshop.

All the authors loved being involved – Helen Heath from VUP said “I'll have to hurry up and write another book so I can come back!”

Paula Green will be on stage next time, with Kate De Goldi, Fiona Farrell, Stephanie Johnson, Lynda Hallinan and others, for the SECOND LADIES’ LITERA-TEA on SUNDAY 4 NOVEMBER 1pm – 5.30pm, again at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Epsom Girls.

Tickets for this second event are selling fast!

$55 (includes sumptuous afternoon tea) from The Women’s Bookshop 3764399, books@womensbookshop.co.nz or Book Here http://womensbookshop.circlesoft.net/catalog/26532-TicketsforEvents