Rachel Joyce

Last night at the Guildford Book Festival I was on the roving mike for Rachel Joyce's session.  This means that I get to sit in the session and at the end when they have FAQs I have to get the mike to the person in the audience so they could ask a question.
I'd not heard of Rachel Joyce before so wasn't sure what the session would be like, but I'm really glad I got to see this one.  She was so nice and if her books - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Perfect are as good as she was speaking they will be very good indeed.
I just wish I'd been allowed to record it or had thought to make some notes.  I know that I can't remember all the brilliant things she said.  But the one thing that really stuck with me was when she said there was a chap she had seen who needed help, but there was nothing she could do, so she put him in her book so she could look after him there.  I just thought that was a beautiful thought.
You can tell how good she was as not only do I now want to read both her books but I left the session all fired up and wanting to write something.  A feeling I've been lacking for a bit.  Lets hope I can keep hold of it.

And thats the end of my time volunteering at the festival.  I've really enjoyed it, but I keep forgetting it is a book festival then being all surprised that everyone is as enthusiastic about books as I am.  I hope that I'll have time to help again next year.