There was quite a commotion at Day Job Headquarters yesterday evening.
"Does everybody know David Beckham is at Waterstones?"
"What's he doing there?" was the quite reasonable question.
"Signing books," came the slightly surprising response. I mean, David Beckham signing books? Who would have thought it.
"Shall we go?"
"It'd be rude not to."
So off they went, a positive exodus of otherwise quite sensible people, who had upto now betrayed no interest in the life, work, or literary career of David Beckham. But Christ, here was a genuine celebrity, an a-list star, a hero, almost, in a bookshop nearby.
And there you have the whole celebrity publishing phenomenon explained.
Lesson Number 2.
However, the most eagerly awaited book in the Morris-Yarham household was not David Beckham's autobiography, or whatever it is he's peddling, but the latest Captain Underpants epic novel from the pen of Dav Pilkey - Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People.
Anyone who's met my son Luke will know that he is the world's biggest Captain Underpants fan. They will know this because Luke will tell them.
Anyhow, the new book arrived yesterday, at long last, all the way from America. It's not out in the UK yet. Yes, we're mad, but you've never experienced pester power like this, and at least it wasn't for a Play Station or a kiddy quad bike. It was for a book. Books are good. Books we like. Books we encourage.
Is it really possible that the big, gap-toothed-grinning joy, the I'm-so-excited-I'm-shaking excitement, the laugh-out-loud pleasure, the Dad-Dad-look-at-this wonder could have been caused by the arrival of a mere book?
We now have the happiest six-year-old boy on the planet living in our house.
So what is lesson two? Just that I think people who predict the end of reading are wrong.
If you would like to experience a similar excitement at the arrival of a new book, click here now.
5 comments:
Beckham?
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Yawn.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Mr or Mrs?
Count me out.
Uninteresting and yesterday's news whatever those glossies try to sell.
They'd need to re-invent themselves in order to see a decent dawn and a future. His story, of course, will appeal to many. But after football, what have they got as a couple, right now?
Do people still flock for a signing?
This has no interest to me apart from why others may be interested and shoot (scuse the pun) Beckham, male and senior, into the literary atmosphere.
Let the ghostwriter take immense credit.
Er, where is the DayJob HQ, like, dude? Ink-wiring minds an' all.
Well, I'm with you, cfr, but what amazed me was the breathless excitement of some of my colleagues. Females, some, most actually, but some of the blokes seemed interested too.
B&B - well, the Waterstones in question is the one on Oxford St (London) near Tottenham Court Road. We are very close to there.
Despite being a football fan and a big red this doesn't interest me one bit BUT just think of the money it's making for the publishers who can then reinvest it in new fiction (hopefully). Well that's supposed to be how it work.
Or, maybe works!
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