Verity and I had our long-anticipated tea and cakes at Persephone Books today to celebrate the success of Persephone Reading Week. We had such a lovely afternoon chatting with Nicola, Lydia and Fiona. I had a delicious passion-fruit cupcake with buttercream frosting from Bea's of Bloomsbury and we made a trip to the remainder shelf in the basement where we liberated some Persephones that will be much warmer and well-loved on our Persephone shelves now; I shall share the titles that have been added to my collection at a later date and probably gush some more about the generosity of Persephone and Nicola.
Earlier in the day Verity and I also made a visit to another bookshop (I was on my best behaviour) and afterwards met with Book Snob and Bloomsbury Bell where they preempted our tea and cake (well, my tea and cake as poor Verity is currently on an exclusion diet to cure her ills).
Following our visit to the shop I had a great discussion about The Wind-up Bird Chronicle at the first Riverside Readers book group of 2010 then took my sniffly self home where I proceeded to slip on the ice outside my flat and bruise myself. Sore end to an otherwise idyllic day and now I am taking my aching body to bed. Woe is me!
Tomorrow I shall be reviewing the latest Persephone book read.
Artist's reproduction of the shop is by David Gentleman.
35 comments:
How fun! Well, except for the slip on the ice. It makes me long for London.
Aside from the icy end, this sounds like a heavenly day! So jealous of the cupcake AND the trip to the remainder shelf!
What a lovely image! What a wonderful day! Felt happy (for you) just reading this. Enjoy those new Persephone titles.
I am so glad that the weather and your health cooperated today. It sounds like an absolutely delightful trip into the city.
Hope the bruises heal quickly.
I look forward to reading about your wonderful Persephone "remainder" additions to your personal library.
Bruises aside, that sounds like a lovely day. I've been planning my UK trip for this spring and am thinking a Persephone afternoon might be required. (I can make a no more book buying exception if I'm in another country, right? Especially if the shop has a remainder table?)
Like others I think this sounds like the perfect day until the less than Hollywood ending!! I am looking forward to hearing all about the new Persephone titles you brought home with you. Can we look forward to another Persephone Reading Week this year??
What a lovekly day out it was - sorry to hear that you slipped and fell afterwards :(
Persephone Reading Week for those that asked will probably be the first week of May this year - hurrah!
I'm just about to write MY version of the day!
Sounds like you had a lovely day, other than the fall!
It was great meeting you both yesterday - sorry to hear about your fall. I am DEEPLY envious about your chat with the Persephone crew AND the delicious sounding cupcake.
I am so looking forward to the next Persephone Reading Week. And May is such a lovely time to have it as we can all sit in the sun with our books!
So nice to see you again! Sorry about the fall - I nearly came a cropper several times yesterday myself!
Excessively jealous about all those books - you lucky things!
What a great day! Well except for slipping on the ice of course. Hope you feel better. Can't wait to see which Persephones you got!
I'm so pleased that you all managed to meet up - I thought the snow might prevent it.
I look forward to the next Persephone reading week!
What a wonderful day! Can't wait to see what you picked up at Persephone... and I hope the bruise isn't too painful today.
Jill, the ice makes you long for London?! Just joking; I know exactly what you mean.
Steph, it was heavenly and the cupcake and books were such a treat!
Frances, thank you - it was a happy day :). I am so excited about reading my new Persephones.
Molly, I am relived that they cooperated too as it was a delightful trip into the city.
I shall post about my new additions later today.
Teresa, you simply must visit the shop! You may not be able to visit the basement as I think that is for special occasions but it is a joy just to peruse the shop and be tempted by all the books on display!
Karen, I like the "less than Hollywood ending" description! It resulted in a sprained wrist :(.
As Verity mentions below, the next Persephone Reading Week is scheduled for the first week in May!
Verity, it was delightful until my fall :(.
Enjoyed your version and can't wait to read your review of The Closed Door!
Dot, it was a lovely day bar the treacherous ice and fall!
Naomi, it was a delight to meet you too and put a face to the name. I loved my cupcake and Persephone chat :).
May will make a lovely month for reading Persephones.
Rachel, it was lovely to see you again too! The ice is nasty and my wrist is sprained :(.
I feel very lucky and privileged but also greedy and guilty :s. I assuaged my guilt some by buying To Bed With Grand Music, which I had intended to buy anyway as Santa didn't bring me a copy.
Mrs. B, I shall be sharing those later today!
Jackie, it was fine in the city and although my concern was getting home again that wasn't an issue... except for the ice :'(.
I'm looking forward to May now and lots of Persephones to read!
JoAnn, I've sprained my wrist, which is painful :(. I hope it will heal quickly and plan to console myself with a good book or two. Check back later for the new Persephone additions reveal!
It sounds like a most spendid time was had by all. I didn't realise you could actually visit Persephone. I presumed it was just a publishers, I didn't think it was a shop. Or have I got the wrong end of the stick?
Vivienne, it's a curious but wonderful set-up. Persephone are a publisher, publishing re-issued/neglected classics, mainly by women, and sell mainly by mail-order but they have two shops and the one in Lamb's Conduit Street in Bloomsbury -the one we visited- is also their office where all the orders are sent out from. Definitely worth a visit for its office feel as well as being able to buy the books directly without paying for P&P!
What is the pain of a fall on ice when you've just come from an afternoon like that? So glad the weather didn't prevent your get-together, I was with you in spirit. (Would really have liked to join in on the rummage in the basement though)
I am sooo green with envy right now Claire. Except for the ice. I went to college in the Midwest, and one of our sidewalks still had the original bricks; those things were sooo treacherous in winter.
Darlene, the pain of a sprained wrist is slightly consoled by the thought of a wonderfully spent day. How wonderful if you had been there... one day it will happen (Verity was wearing your gift so you were indeed there in spirit).
Eva, I don't envy you the Midwest ice; it's crazy treacherous here at the moment as apparently there is a shortage of salt and common-sense *rolls eyes*. I am also a rather clumsy person. I am delighted that you enjoyed your first Persephone experience and long may it continue.
I am so sorry to hear about your fall Claire, I almost did something very similar today. I dont mind the snow, its the ice that is treacherous.
Sounds like fun! I was in London the day before, but I might try and sneak up to the book group before the end of 2010...
Oh what fun. I visited the Persephone Shop when I was in London 8-9 years ago and wanted to take all the books with me :)
Ohmigosh, this seems like such a great day! well, not the ice, of course. But everything else :-)
Ouch! Hope you're okay after the fall!
Sounds like a great bookish day out. I really should look up the Persephone Books shop in London one of these days. I just feel like I should read a few more Persephones before I do that - considering I've only read the one!
Sounds like fun! I wish I'd known about the Persephone shop when I was last in London - I thought they were only online! But I suppose I would have just ended up with masses of books I'd have had to ship home...
Gosh thirty-five! I've only got about seven. Trip to the shop sounds lovely.
Oooh, lucky you!! How lovely! I adore Bea's of Bloomsbury ;)
Simon, the ice is treacherous; at least it has mostly thawed now and I can cease being petrified to venture out. My wrist still hurts :(
Simon T, the Riverside Readers book group or a Persephone one?! Would be great to meet you again.
Iliana, each time I visit the shop I am tempted to buy all the books!
Aarti, exluding the fall it was a wonderful day!
anothercookie, my wrist still hurts but it's healing, thanks.
You should definitely visit the shop; even though you're not a Persephone devotee yet, it makes such a lovely visit.
Jenny, you have to count your blessings and in your case it would have been heavy luggage and charges for exceeding your allowance. There's always next visit! They are mainly online and most of their sales are via mail order but they work out of the shop/office.
Nicola, I have been lucky with gifts and remainders from the shop. 22 were accrued in 2009 alone!
Miranda, Bea's of Bloomsbury's passion-fruit cupcake was delicious!
Aw, it's too bad about the fall, but otherwise it sounds like a perfect bookish day :D
Ana, don't you just love bookish days?!
Oh when, oh when is Persephone Week??
Claire, we've decided on the first week of May so that gives you time to stock-pile a few more Persephones ;).
Yay!! Will you make it a seven-day week instead of five this time? :D
Claire, I think that could be arranged!
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