INDUSTRY NEWS
Jade Craddock was invited to a special weekend at a Gloucestershire manor in honour of Kate Riordan's The Girl in the Photograph.
There are many perks to being a book reviewer, the best of which has to be attending publicity events organised by publishers and authors. And whilst these are all hugely exciting in their own right, this weekend Penguin took it to a whole new level.
It all began a couple of weeks back with a couriered package that turned up unexpectedly, bearing a scroll, an invitation and a copy of Kate Riordan's debut novel with Penguin, The Girl in the Photograph. The invite and scroll outlined the event - which included an overnight stay at Owlpen Manor estate, the inspirational setting behind Kate's novel, lunch, a three-course evening banquet, and a tour of the manor itself by the owner, Sir Nicholas Mander. As invitations go, it was second to none. So this November weekend, I made my way to the atmospheric location, which lies nestled in the rural Gloucestershire countryside.
With rolling hills and pockets of low-lying mist, it's clear to see how Kate, pictured above, was inspired by the location and the setting really does have a very ethereal and unique quality to it. As our host Sir Nicholas kindly took us inside his home and shared its history and stories, Kate was a charming and friendly guest of honour. The Penguin team also went over and above to deliver this one-off event.
From the food, to the accommodation, to the event, everything about the weekend was one of a kind, not only a reminder of what a privilege it is to be a reviewer, but also of the amazing work by the publishers that goes into engaging with readers and bringing authors and bloggers closer together.
Locations were already being suggested for Kate's next novel after such a wonderful and unique experience this time round, but in all seriousness, the Penguin team have excelled in capturing the imagination with this event and the combination of the experience and the setting make it completely incomparable.
Huge thanks to Jessica, Sarah and of course Kate for such a wonderful time, as well as to the Mander estate. The Girl in the Photograph is out in January 2015.
