Keith A Charters

Watch out Milton Keynes, at the end of June I’ll be climbing Hadrian’s Wall and heading your way. I’ll be presenting to invited school audiences at Borders bookshop on Parkway in Milton Keynes on the morning of 29 June.

If you haven’t seen me before then nag your teacher to get in touch with Richard Groom or Amanda McClair at the store and see if you can come along. You’ll have such a good laugh, I promise. The contact details for the store are:

Eldergate
The Portway
Milton Keynes
Bucks
MK9 1EP

Tel: 0190 869 6745

Lots to report, but first a ‘thank you’ to everyone who’s bought one (or more!) of my books in the last few months.

I’ve been all over the place recently, including Bettyhill, which is on?Scotland’s northern coastline and has a dramatic beach. On World Book Day I had my first visit to the Isle of Cumbrae (that’s where you’ll find Millport), then a few days later I was at Radlett Preparatory School, just north of London, near St Albans, before heading all the way back up to Aberdeen. I feel like a yoyo, bouncing up and down the country!

My maddest week was in April. I started on the Monday, flying to the London Book Fair to meet Caroline, the lovely lady who is helping to sell my books outside of the UK. By lunchtime I was back on a plane to Glasgow and by 10pm I had arrived in Bealy, near Inverness. Next morning (Tuesday)?I drove up to Ullapool and presented at Ullapool Primary School before dashing back to present at Beauly Primary School in the afternoon. In between those two visits I sold my house! (It’s true.) Wednesday saw me present at Crown Primary in Inverness, Duncan Forbes Primary in Culloden and then, in the afternoon, I made a return visit to my good friends at Milne’s Primary in Fochabers.?Milne’s Primary is an amazing school to look at. It’s essentially?a castle. On the Thursday I was at Allness Primary in Obsdale and?Knockbreck Primary in Tain before finishing the day at Dornoch Primary, who were joined by Bonar Bridge Primary for a big event. And then Friday: Tarradale Primary School in Muir of Ord, Dingwall Prmary (where they crammed 320 pupils into their main hall, making this the biggest audience of my northern tour)?and finally to South Lodge Primary in Invergordon, before heading back home to Glasgow. I slept well that Friday night, I can tell you.

That’s not the whole list from the last few months. I’ve been to dozens of other schools - too many to mention but thanks to all of them for inviting me along. A big ‘thank you’ also to Lesley Anne and Kevin of Borders at Inverness Retail Park?for their in-store display of my books and for making sure there was plenty of stock to keep everyone happy. (They had to reoder - twice in a matter of days!)

In the next few days I’m heading to Carnoustie (east of Dundee)?to visit Kinloch Primary and to Burntisland in Fife to visit the primary school there. Later in the month I’ll be having lunch with pupils at Caldervale High School in Airdrie. See, I’ll go anywhere for food! And then my final (as far as I’m aware) visit of the school year will be to Whitefield School in London.

As those who have seen me will know, I love presenting in schools. It’s just such brilliant fun having a laugh with everyone.

Well, enough of me waffling on. I’d better get on and write another LEE book!

Bye for now.

It really is all go at the moment. I appeared at the Glasgow Book Festival in February and as part of the West Dunbartonshire Book Festival in May (hi to Sarah and Ann Louise and all the good folks at Dumbarton and Dalmuir libraries).

Coming up are appearances at:

Edinburgh International Book Festival -?2 talks as part of the ‘Writing Business’ strand, so these are NOT aimed at children, they are about things such as ‘The Economics of Publishing’ (heavy stuff!).

Stirling Council’s ‘Off The Page’ Book Festival - Tuesday 25 September is the day on which I’ll be making two appearances at the?theatre in the Cowane Centre.?Pester your teachers to make sure they take you along.

Perth’s ‘Word’s Out’ Book Festival - that’s Perth, UK, not Perth, Australia incidentally. (I’m still waiting for someone to offer to pay my fare to Oz…) I’ll be presenting to schools during the week of 22-26 October. As with Stirling, if you’re in the area and you’re school is not already booked to see me, it’s worth checking with the festival organisors to see if you can arrange it. You won’t regret it.

All the best,

Keith

Busy busy! Here’s what I’ve got lined up for the next 2 months.

Mar-07?

Cumbrae PS, Milport?

Dykemains PS, Saltcoats?

West Kilbride Library, North Ayrshire?

Crosshouse PS, Kilmarnock?

Castlepark PS, Irvine?

St Stephen’s PS, Glasgow?

Radlett Preparatory School?

Nether Robertland PS, Stewarton?

Hunter High School, East Kilbride?

St Brendan’s PS, Yoker, Glasgow?

Longstone PS, Edinburgh?

Dean’s PS, Livingston?

Netherthird PS, Cumnock?

Greenmill PS, Cumnock?

Crosshouse PS, Kilmarnock?

East Plean PS, nr Stirling?

Cairnhill PS, New Cumnock?

Castle PS, New Cumnock?

Dreghorn Library?

Ardrossan Library?

Cadder PS, Glasgow?

St Ninian’s PS, Gourock?

Moorfoot PS, Gourock?

High School of Glasgow Junior School?

East Hall PS, Glasgow?

Holm PS, Inverness?

Farr PS, Caithness?

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Apr-07?

Ullapool PS?

Beauly PS, nr Inverness?

Crown Primary School, Inverness?

Duncan Forbes PS, Culloden, nr Inverness?

Milne’s PS, Fochabers?

Obsdale PS, Alness?

Knockbreck PS, Tain?

Dornoch PS + Bonar Bridge PS together?

Tarradale PS, Muir of Ord, Ross-shire?

Dingwall PS?

South Lodge PS, Invergordon

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