Natasha Judd

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a message on the book-swapping website Bookcrossing.com, saying that I was going to start a bookring to celebrate the launch of Lessons to Learn.  The response has been incredible, with over 40 people signing up to join the ring from places as far apart as Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Tasmania in Australia.

As it might take each ring participant up to a month to read the book and pass it on, I’ve decided to set up a separate ring for New Zealand and Australian Bookcrossers.

If you’re a Bookcrossing.com member (it’s free to join) and are interested in joining either bookring, please send me a message through the Bookcrossing site.

Alternatively, you can following the travels of Lessons to Learn at the links below:

• Europe/North America bookring
• New Zealand/Australia bookring

This week is passing by in a blur, and it’s difficult to keep up with the blogging. It’s now Saturday afternoon, and this entry is about Wednesday morning: the morning after the book launch, when I was interviewed for Radio New Zealand.

You might expect that, compared to speaking to rows and rows of people at the launch, it might be easier for me to speak into a microphone in a room that was empty (apart from me and my husband Matt, sitting on the other side of the table, wearing a second pair of headphones). But in truth, despite all the Radio New Zealand staff being absolutely fantastic, it was still a kind of scary experience.

Embarrassing too. There were some issues organising a link up between the Auckland studios and Wellington, where the interviewer, Lynn Freeman, is based. So we were sitting there with the headphones on, and there was just buzzing on the line, and Matt asks me if Lynn will have read my book, and I say something like, “Yeah, I think so. I’m pretty sure that Chris sent her a copy.” A minute or so later, Lynn’s on the line, and she’s lovely and friendly, and one of the first things she does is reassure me that she has read the book. Not sure whether she’d heard me or not, but the microphones were probably already on… and either way, embarrassing!

Most of the interviews I’ve done so far have been about the writing process: about studying at the IIML, about things I’ve written before this, about how I turned the short story into a novel. Lynn asked those things too, but there were also a lot of questions about the book itself – the themes and the characters, such as the father and Greg. I guess I should’ve been expecting this (after all, the characters are hopefully more interesting than me talking about how I write). Oh well, something to think about for next time. I read the ‘Lean on Me’ section again – I’d practised that and also read it at the launch the night before, so hopefully that bit sounded okay.

I’ve been told that the piece will be on sometime tomorrow (Sunday) between 2 and 3pm. For those of you in New Zealand who want to listen, there’s a list of Radio New Zealand frequencies here. For those overseas or those not by a radio tomorrow, the audio will be available for download for a month from the Arts on Sunday section of the Radio New Zealand website.

After an hour on the crowded tube, another getting through security at Heathrow, 22 hours in the air, half an hour looking for gate E20 at Singapore, 15 very long minutes waiting on the tarmac, I arrived back in Auckland at 8pm last night.

My parents were waiting at the airport, embarrassing and supportive as ever, with helium welcome home balloons and ribbons; flowers and signs that said “Lessons to Learn: Available in All Good Bookstores Now” (apparently it should be in bookstores now, though none of us have yet seen a copy on the shelves). It was late at night. Hopefully not too many people noticed.

Waiting at home, there was an article about the launch of Lessons to Learn in our local newspaper, the Western Leader. There’s the picture that Matt took of me in the back streets of Wimbledon, on page 4, surrounded by stories about a young cyclist, a 100 year old woman, and a call to change the booster seat law. Online, I found that the interview I had last Thursday morning had become a press release. I checked my email in Singapore, and discovered that next Wednesday morning an interview has been organised with Lynn Freeman for the Radio New Zealand Arts on Sunday show.

Today, across the road and next to where I used to catch the bus to primary school, they demolished an old shed. Wood and corrugated iron were pulled off bit by bit, until it collapsed. The neighbours stood around on the grass at watched, took photos, ate sausages in bread. Mum brought along a copy of Lessons to Learn and took orders. I practised talking about it.

What it’s about, when I wrote it, is it me on the cover (yes: on the back; no: on the front). I feel that I’m going to be talking about it an awful lot in the week to come.

So, it’s the first of June, and there’s only 12 days and a very long flight separating me and the launch of Lessons to Learn. Takapuna Library has details about the launch up on their website now, so it must really be happening!

It’s been a busy week, with a lot of firsts. I did my first two interviews about Lessons to Learn: one over email, the other by phone at 7 o’clock yesterday morning. Being a writer rather than a speaker, it’s probably not surprising I found it a lot easier to coherently answer the written questions. And indeed, later I had to send an email to the person who called me, once I’d got to work and remembered all the things that I’d forgotten to say on the phone. It’s strange to be asked how I feel about Lessons to Learn being published: excited, overwhelmed, impatient and quite terrified all at once.

I also signed my first book this morning, before packaging it up for a friend in Italy (you know who you are!). Normally, I can’t bring myself to write on books, but it seems to be less sacrilegious when my name’s on the front cover. I still haven’t finalised a good “Natasha Judd” signature, and when I’m not thinking about it, I’ll still start the “L” of “Leitch” and then try and convert it into a “J” and fudge the rest from there.

I opened a new bank account, and my occupation was listed as writer – that’s definitely a first!

And on the subject of firsts, congratulations to all the finalists of the Montana NZ book awards, with particular YAYs to my IIML classmates, Michele Amas and Airini Beautrais who are finalists in the First Book – Poetry category.  I can’t wait to pick up copies of both their collections once I’m back in New Zealand.  Not long now!

Ladies and gentlemen, Lessons to Learn has been launched.

The big event took place on Tuesday night, at the Takapuna Library.  Strangely enough, it raised similar concerns to a previous big event, our September wedding last year.  Did everyone get their invitations?  Would they like the food?  What should I wear?  Do I need a hair cut?  What do I say in my speech?  What will others say in their speeches?

No wonder that, at about 5pm, as we drove along the motorway to Takapuna, I noticed my hands were shaking.

The staff and friends of Takapuna library had already set up the lectern and seats by the time I got there, and in the too-short moments before everyone else arrived, I practised standing behind it, posing while Matt took photos, sipping on water, convinced that I was going to lose my voice.

Then suddenly, there were people everywhere.  Grandparents; aunts and uncles and cousins; teachers from primary, intermediate, high school; friends; friends’ parents; the text and cover designers, even the girl who’s picture is on the cover herself.  And keeping in the theme of rather-like-a-wedding, there was also a chocolate cake with white chocolate icing in the shape of a book.  I’m told that the cake was delicious; I’m told that all the food was delicious.  I was too nervous to eat a thing.

I signed a few early-purchased copies, in a totally undignified manner, kneeling on the floor.  Then speeches, where Helen Woodhouse from Takapuna Library, and my publisher, Christine Cole Catley and Dame Catherine Tizard all said lovely things about the book.  Then my turn, which I think was also okay.  The audience laughed a few times as I read out the section where Charlotte teaches “10 very great English songs” to her students.  My hands were still shaking a little bit, but it felt like everyone was on side.

I have many lessons to learn.  However, I don’t seem to be a quick learner.  I was intending to find a place to sit and sign the rest of the copies, but instead a line formed as I rested on the piano, and I must’ve signed about 20 books there, with my signature getting progressively more illegible.  And only when I got to the last couple did I remember that my grandfather had advised me to sign with black pen rather than blue.

Afterwards there were more photos, hugs, farewells, dinner with friends at a local restaurant.  It all passed in a blur, really.  As clichéd as it sounds, I’ve always wanted to be a novelist – and there I was, launching a novel.  Still seems like a dream in a way, but I’ve got a carton of books downstairs which proves that it must be a dream come true.

All in all, an amazing experience: thanks to the organisers, thanks to those who emailed and phoned with messages of support, and thanks ever so much to everyone who came and bought a copy of the book.  Hopefully we’ll be able to do it again sometime, but I have many, many more words to write before then.