A MAJOR EVENT ENJOYED.
Back at my desk I now have time to reflect upon my recent trip to that little paradise in the Atlantic, Madeira. ‘Shadows in Sunshine’ gave me the excuse to visit the island again to launch the book in its actual setting, and with the help of Bruno Silva’s team at the Real Canoa, Livraria Esperanca bookshop and the Pestana Hotel Group the week long event proved to be the most memorable in my writing career.
The event coincided with the Madeira Literary festival where I spent long periods on five of the days at the Livraria Esperanca stand. Thanks to their organisation the books had arrived from the UK in time and were displayed in pride of place.
A celebration of the launch was held at the Real Canoa restaurant slightly out of the centre of Funchal at Ponta Cruz and hosted by Bruno Silva and Alicia Gomes who laid on a remarkable buffet for the guests. Thanks to photographer Thomas Taylor and Alicia Gomes the event was well recorded on camera. The lovely Agnese Alde provided delightful background music throughout the event.
It was thanks to Paula Severino’s hard work and organisation that the four talks at the Pestana Group hotels went well, as did the talk arranged by Carla Camacho at the Vidamar Resorts hotel and the staff of the Girassol hotel who hastily organised an extra venue for me. As usual my memory failed me regarding having photographs taken of the talks.
Like most hectic events that seem to pass in a blur, it is only now as I sit calmly at my desk that I recall my conversations with the many delightful people that I had the pleasure of meeting during my stay. I am always amazed at the interest people have in the way an author works and invariably find fresh questions to answer once the formal talk is over.
The dark parts of ‘Shadows in Sunshine’ draw on the politics of North Africa and the Euro crisis and its effect upon the people of Madeira. That I hope will not disturb the tourists’ enjoyment of the island!