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A number of northern bookshops are teaming up for the Great North Author Tour, which will see 11 authors and one bookshop owner travel across the North East in one day.
In collaboration with Bookshop.org and organised by Richard Drake of Drake The Bookshop in Stockton, the Great North Author Tour, featuring 11 authors, will start at 9 a.m. on 24th June at The Bound Bookshop in Whitley Bay.
Lisette Auton, James Harris, Gabrielle Kent and Andy Ruffell along with Newcastle’s Dan Smith, as well as Tom Vaughan, James Nicol, Lorraine Gregory, Cath Howe, Annaliese Avery and Bethany Walker will then head down the coast to Saltburn to The Book Corner (11 a.m.); head inland to Drake at Stockton (12:15 p.m.) and then head to Leyburn’s indie bookshop The Wonky Tree (2.05 p.m.).
From 3:40 p.m. the tour will hit James Herriot country and White Rose Book Café, with the day coming to its traditional end with the finish line being put out and an “all are welcome lock-in” at Ripon Bookshop at 4.55 p.m.
This is the fourth version of the tour that started out as four authors in a car back in 2018 to showcase just how collaborative the book industry is.
Drake said: “They all think I’m crazy, but each of the bookshops has bought into making this an annual event and it is a great way to spread the work about bookshops; the love of books; and to showcase some amazing authors. Similarly, we now get authors asking to be a part of the tour.”
Harris commented: “As a North East author I don’t get to go to any of the London shindigs for networking, comparing notes, or just idly chit-chatting with other authors, so putting loads of us on a bus together is a brilliant way of speed-dating with other children’s authors.”
Drake co-owner Melanie Greenwood added: “Once again, we would like to offer a huge thanks to the publishers for helping get the authors to the event; the schools for wanting to be involved; the authors and shops for going along with it; and really hope to see our friends old and new to help us celebrate Independent Bookshop Week.” The latest titles for each of the authors can be found and bought here.