Forget about Christmas for a moment and cast your mind forward to that most evil of months, February. You know: the month that’s miserable and wretched, from which all the festive warmth has evaporated but upon which spring has yet to make any kind of impression; the month in which despite all that you’re supposed to muster the energy to wow your loved one with a Valentine’s Day surprise and whisk them away to a romantic nook that’s yet somehow convenient, amazing, affordable, secluded and romantic.
Yep. A nightmare. I know.
Well fret no more! The solution is at hand. Forget about February 14th altogether and ink Saturday February 4th in your (and your partner’s) diaries. For on February 4th the amazing Hackney School of Folk will be hosting an alternative Valentine’s Day benefit concert to raise funds for Midland, at the lovely Ryan’s Bar in Stoke Newington Church Street.
Details are tbc but tickets will probably be a fiver, there’ll be quality live music from various quality performers, there’ll be a reading from me, there’ll be a fundraising auction, and best of all there’ll be atmosphere, laughs and love a-plenty. All proceeds will of course go straight into the Midland publishing kitty and help carry it closer to that magical 100%.
I’ll post more info here nearer the time and shove up an event thing on Facebook SO THERE WILL BE NO EXCUSE FOR MISSING IT!
Oh and, yeah - talking about Christmas, and loved ones and all that stuff, don’t forget that for loved one in your life that has everything, what they probably don’t have is the VERY SPECIAL AND UNIQUE PRESENT OF THEIR NAME IN THE BACK OF MY BOOK. And that’s what they’ll get if you buy them a copy of Midland (e.g. by upgrading to the two hardbacks deal on the pledge page).
Even better, by giving someone Midland you actually get two years’ worth of presents for the price of one! Because THIS year the present can be you telling them about it, and NEXT year the present can be the actual book, which I hope (please God pretty please) will have been funded and published by then…
And you can't say fairer than that.*
Happy Winterval, y'all.
x
James