Jo Cotterill

Last night was my launch party for LOOKING AT THE STARS, and I had SUCH a good time 🙂 So many people from different areas of my life came:

• ten other children’s authors
• eight school librarians plus assorted colleagues and children
• my primary school head teacher
• my A Level Maths teacher
• an aspiring writer I’ve corresponded with for a couple of years now
• fellow mums from my daughter’s school, including one who’s a talented photographer and came armed with her camera and took 150 photos!
• editors from Oxford University Press, who didn’t publish the book but came to support anyway
• a former colleague from a secondary school where I used to teach
• my cousin, who was on call that evening (he’s a vet)
• my wonderful editor Ruth and publicist Jasmine from Random House

As well as my parents, aunt, my husband and my two girls…what a lucky author I am! Everyone was so lovely and enthusiastic and it was just a really warm atmosphere. Ruth did a little speech in which she read out an email from my fabulous agent Penny (who sadly couldn’t be there) and made me feel more than a little proud 🙂 And then I did a speech in which I thanked lots of people (but failed to thank Ruth!! And missed out Blackwells, who were hosting the event!! How could I?! To be fair, my children were determined to hog the limelight, and I did have to do some of my speech with my toddler in my arms) and then I did a reading from the book, which was very hard work because the room was big and the acoustics difficult! But I hope everyone heard me, and even my children sat quietly and listened, so it must have been interesting enough 😉

And then I sat down and signed some books – and then got up to cut the cake (which was made by my fab parents) – and then sat down and signed some more books. And then gradually people drifted away, and then there was only me and my parents left, along with the superb staff from Blackwells, who were BRILLIANT, especially Hannah. I’m sad that I didn’t get a photo taken with Hannah 😦 but if anyone is in Oxford and fancies a nosy round Blackwells bookshop, they won’t find a nicer children’s department anywhere 🙂

Anyway, I’m getting misty-eyed thinking about it, so I shall sign off with a pic of the cake, which was truly delicious. More pics to follow soon!