Tour De Europa

By Mark Binmore

When I toured across Europe for promotion of a recent published book, I anticipated some sort of confrontation between my own values of what a book launch should be, perhaps a theatrical presentation and traditional publishing values alongside the usual audiences and critics. In fact, the book tour was a thrilling experience for me, the book sold well, the audiences were enthusiastic and everyone involved worked incredibly hard to present a structured launch in venues of  varying sizes – even some of the critics liked it. Chris Henson travelled with me on the entire tour. 

This book is a record of it. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Binmore
• Release date: Aug 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223462545

Book preview

Chris Henson with Mark Binmore

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

Johnny I’m Sorry

Private Places

Published by Fontana

First published in Great Britain by Kindlight 2015

Copyright ©Chris Henson 2015

This Edition ©Chris Henson 2021

––––––––

The right of Anonymous to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and publisher of this book

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Tour De Europa was originally published in 2015.

The spelling of the book title was completely deliberate, although we both never said so at the time. 

This book started out with little formal brief, other than a combination of photographs and text recording his 2014 book tour as it travelled across the majority of countries in Western Europe. 

There was an idea to do a behind the scenes reportage on what it was like for a relatively new author to be on the promotional trail of his new book. What goes on behind the book signing, that kind of thing. If there was a single idea behind it, it was one what might happen when two different cultures – that of Mark Binmore and that of Europe – meet. The choice of Jeff Thorn as the tour photographer was influenced by his portfolio of American truck stops and landscapes of Europe and there was certainly an expectation that he might photograph Mark against the wide open landscapes of the continent or leaning casually against gas pumps. If he didn’t take those photos, it was because they were not there to be taken. Even across beautiful countries, it turned out, Mark was not the sort of person who spent much times in fields or petrol stations. What we recorded was slightly more complicated. 

Mark treats Europe with an uneasy mixture of priorities, prejudices and pleasure, countries where he faced a sense of mission with a sense of disdain. The same questions being asked. A sense of boredom.

Mark is relatively old school when it comes to promotion. There is the book. Read it. Enjoy it. Let me write another. Although Mark has travelled before promoting his books he has never undertaken a full country by country book tour including the United Kingdom. There was a planned tour a few years ago, but he pulled out after realizing the entire cost and the deficit that would happen. Fast forward a few years and now signed to a publishing house, it was agreed he would tour and undergo promotion in various countries across Europe. A planned American tour was proposed then postponed.

Part of this book is indeed about Mark Binmore versus Europe, but in other parts Europe sits in the background and the true tussle is that of Mark Binmore versus himself. 

The narration, just as the photographs which originally featured in the limited edition hardback edition, takes the form of snapshots. The reader is eavesdropping, and most of the time those speaking have forgotten they are being listened to. 

In hindsight, Mark remembers this tour as thrilling and fairly triumphant. His memories may be unfairly skewed towards the happier times; this book, by contrast, is unfairly skewed towards the more difficult moments. Mark is not the sort of person to say a huge amount during moments of exuberance, preferring to sip a little champagne, perhaps and then move on. At times of boredom, irritation or crisis he is rather more garrulous. If in the text that follows he occasionally seems irrational, or inconsistent, or pompous, or nasty, remember that most of the words in this book aren’t those of public statements but of private, everyday babble, words that, in more normal circumstances, would have been forgotten as soon as they were spoken. 

Mark eventually agreed to publication of the book and decided to compose a short and rather precise forward. 

When I toured across Europe for promotion of a recent published book, I anticipated some sort of confrontation between my own values of what a book launch should be, perhaps a theatrical presentation, and traditional publishing values alongside the usual audiences and critics.  In fact, the book tour was a thrilling experience for me, the book sold well, the audiences were enthusiastic and everyone involved worked incredibly hard to present a structured launch in venues of varying sizes – even some of the critics liked it. 

Chris Henson travelled with me on the entire tour.

This book is a record of it. 

Released in 2015 in three formats, the book charted in the top thirty of bestsellers across Europe. 

The Opening.

Café Le Bell Paris, a café bar set amongst an avenue of boutiques and green trees. Mark and his friends are staying at a nearby hotel and today is what Mark has called a rest day. Everyone is booked under their own names although Chris opted to change his name to Randolph when he registered causing confusion at the reception; more confusing is that no one has asked him why. 

Across the road from the café bar is a small menswear shop with a bizarre promotion. 'Hot legs contest, if you show us your hot legs we give you hot jeans.' It then continues to say that if you have the best legs you will receive a jean jacket as well. 

'Double denim,' snorts Chris, 'and they say the French dress well.'

In Paris last night, Mark went to see a Kylie Minogue tribute concert.

'I was asked backstage beforehand,' said Mark rather proudly. 'One of the dancers made a comment about my hair, I said I really liked Better The Devil You Know and told them I bought it on seven inch back in 1990. The Kylie woman just looked at me bizarrely and muttered, 'What’s a seven inch?'

Mark scowls as I tell him his Trumpets book has finally been released in Belgium and has entered the national book chart at a low #180. The prediction had been much higher but due to a book code error, shipments were delayed and previous promotional duties cancelled. 

Earlier in the afternoon Mark had been to see the film The Dreamers which is being repeated again at some art cinema. 

'It was a good film when I first saw it, but now I’m not so sure, I only went because it’s nice to talk about a French film in French interviews.'

'This book release is slightly more theatrical', explains Mark. 'I see this publication more as an event, some discussion, some background music and questions and answers about the book. I get to read quite a bit as well. I was always told that in order to sell a book you’ve got to promote extensively. Well, my response to that is that okay, I will tour and promote the book but on my terms and that’s something I will deal with. I see this as a challenge.'

Book Review 'Strange Behaviour'

Everyone crowds round as Mark shows them his new book editions of his back catalogue. Marks publishing house have reissued his first five books with new artwork, and with different colour covers. 

'They look beautiful actually,' Mark comments. 

A man walks past and looks disapprovingly over at Mark.

'Are you famous?' he asks in broken English.

'Yes,' Mark nods in a matter of fact way then looks away.

'Hmm, I thought so. Fuck off. '

He walks away.

Everyone laughs.

'You see?  This what I have to put with,' Mark comments.

––––––––

Mark Binmore (b.1971) grew up in Torquay, England. He started writing at an early age and studied drama and dance performing in many local and national amateur and professional productions.  In the early 1990s he moved to London to continue his career. 

In the background he was still writing, namely song lyrics, poetry, short stories resulting in a management contract with Massive and the publication of his first book Beautiful Mess. The book sold well and he was commissioned to write two novels. The seedy Twilights & Lowlifes featured the backdrop to his London home in Soho while The Flamenco was a psychedelic adventure in love and adultery. 

An autobiography was also penned, In Search Of The Fabulous People which originally received a sparse distribution and, bizarrely according to Mark, was presented in a ballet style shoe box complete with lithograph, pen and photograph.

Described as, 'quite funny in places,' it was later re-reviewed by the author as, 'a load of old bollocks,' and has not been published since. 

Interviews. 

Mark is on the telephone to a radio station in Dublin. Book sales in Ireland have not been good. Before he dials he wonders whether the Irish have reacted badly to comments he made a few years ago although he doesn’t divulge what comments they were. 

'I may have said I hated U2,' he sniggers. 

A few minutes later he’s telling the reporter how he is a huge U2 fan.

––––––––

The next interview is here in person, Sasha, from a local magazine.  There are many journalists waiting also to interview Mark, arranged by his publishers and reluctantly Mark has agreed to meet them all.

Sasha asks the questions and in-between fiddling with his hair and footwear, Mark goes into a well-rehearsed spiel. 

'...no, I’m not a huge Opera fan. I guess I’m more a fan of music; it’s what I grew up with and prefer listening to. I do like theatre though although musicals are rather irritating. I once saw twenty minutes of Miss Saigon and then walked out, or was it Les Mes, one of those shows anyhow.'

How are people reacting to your book tour Sasha asks?

'They will probably leave halfway through my opening speech, 'Mark laughs. 'Most people who have read the new book say they loved it and that is nice to hear.'

More questions.

Do you feel more comfortable writing a book or promoting it?

'I think when you’re writing a book you look forward to getting it out there and then vice versa, when you’re promoting it there is a large part that you just want to retreat and write.'

As usual there are questions about his private life and sexuality.

'I think I’ve covered those questions before.'

Sasha leaves.

Mark starts leafing through one of those perfect-bound pieces of hotel advertising, a guide to the best hundred hotels in Paris.

'This isn’t one of them,' he complains, 'it’s a dump if you ask me. I shall send this onto Claudine.'

Claudine is Mark’s editor. 

Mark looks round.

'You know, most hotels are designed for group sex, glass surfaces, mirrors everywhere, the hot tub. It’s kink city.'

Sandwiches arrive. We are in Marks suite at the hotel. Already he is complaining about the bathroom.

'The cold tap fell off,' he moans.

The sandwiches are left uneaten. He surveys his schedule. 

'I see Finland has been sneaked in, I’ve never been to Finland, am I selling in Finland?'

Someone shouts yes.

The next interviewer Maurice is from a French gay magazine Oui. Mark does his spiel again. 

'I don’t really see myself as a writer, not in the common sense of a writer, but then I have sold books so I guess you could call me a writer.'  The interviewer sits silent. Mark just stares back before declaring, 'I rather fucked that bit up didn’t I, best not publish that.'

Maurice muses on his unpopularity in Italy, the only country in Europe when he has not had regular book sales. 

'I can’t explain it,' Mark confesses. 'I guess it’s hard to explain why or why you are not popular. I think maybe I am too English and the Italians, well, I’d like to be popular there, I do love Italy and Rome and Venice, a beautiful country, but I don’t know, wasn’t I supposed to go to Rome?'

There is no answer. 

The interview ends silently.  The transcript is never published.

Mark shows me a few pieces of fan mail he has received from Istanbul.  Apparently his books sell quite well in Turkey despite being published in English. 

Mohammad writes, 'I loved reading your book on winter, it was very exciting, I hope to meet you one day to give you a hug.' 

Ismail writes, 'You write very pretty, I want to write like you.' 

Yuki writes, 'Your books occupy a large piece of my mind, I love you, I tweeted you but you did not reply.' 

Rid simply writes, 'I dreamt about you last night after reading your book, in my dream I saw you walking the streets where I live calling my name, ultimate gratitude and a hundred kisses from me to you, I wish I could meet you.' 

There are a few