EVERY AUTHOR, WHETHER AN established titan or a quivering neophyte, has a golden expectation of what their first — or indeed subsequent — literary festival will be like. The location will be a charming cathedral city or beautiful rural town, and the audience will be packed. The organisers will be the very definition of charm, hospitality and clued-up experience, and the pre-event drinks in the green room will be a welcome lubricant for an hour of engaged chatter.
The questions will be penetrating, but never impertinent; at best, they might even suggest new ideas for future books. The signing will be convivial, the number of books sold plentiful, and all fellow authors encountered will become lifelong
