Travelling Suitcase Library

So World Book Night has come and gone for another year, and what a lovely WBN it was! Once again the Travelling Suitcase Library took over my local pub, Arcadia, filling it with books, and bunting.

A happy customer!

I was giving away Malorie Blackman's Noughts and Crosses, a powerful dystopian YA romance book, and I was also joined by the lovely Jimi, who found out about the event through the World Book Night website, who was giving out copies of Casino Royale, which went down a treat with the pub regulars.



World Book Night @ Arcadia

 We were joined by the incredibly supportive Leeds Big Bookend Crew, whose festival I'm really looking forward to, and the Leeds Ladyfest Crew were on hand selling awesome merch, the bags really came in useful for carrying the books back!



The Ladyfest Crew and the Awesome Bags!

 And of course the Travelling Suitcase Library was its usual busy self, as most people turned up to the event with bags upon bags of books to swap.

Books Make People Excited!

This year's event was smaller than previous ones, World Book Night is now such a big event with so many people giving books all over Leeds-I was really chuffed to be handed some in Leeds Book Station by Leeds Met Library-it is hard for someone on their own to organise. I couldn't do a buffet, and the least said about my buns the better. But for the people who came, and supported the event for the third year running (and it was SO NICE to have people bringing books they got last year and loved to be swapped again) we had a lovely evening, I got to wear a frock, and many people found a stack of books.

Me, and my suitcase, looking a bit pink at the end of the night!

Thank yous...
The Arcadia Team, Graeme, Sarah and Hayley for being so lovely and letting me take over for another year. Reb and Dave for being so incredibly kind and helpful, Fiona and The Big Bookend, L and P from Ladyfest and the Leeds Feminist Network Massive, fellow giver Jimi, B and friends, Luey, Lou, Tom and Jim, H, G/R, EB Snare and the Twitter Crew and P for just being wonderful.

I'm really pleased to be able to once again celebrate World Book Night at the wonderful Arcadia Bar, for the third time.

World Book Night is the wonderful event that sees thousands of people been given a book, recommended by another person, for free. This matches the ethos of the Travelling Suitcase Library completing and I'm really proud to keep it local, in my favourite pub, and once again be able to share books and reading with the regulars and  locals of Headingley.

I'll be there, Travelling Suitcase Library is tow, from 7ish, and we'll be having a book party until about 10. I'm giving away copies of Malorie Blackman's wonderful book Noughts and Crosses, which you must read if you haven't, as well as the regular book swap.

I'll be using the downstairs side room, so it will be accessible. Arcadia doesn't allow children in the pub, sadly, as it doesn't have a licence for them, or pub crawls or fancy dress. I'm also claiming the space as body positive and Leeds Ladyfest will be selling tickets for their calender lotto. There may also be cake.

If you're a giver, and this sounds like your thing, please do join us. You can email me bookelfleeds @ Gmail dot com, join the Facebook group, or just turn up on the night.

Today I'm going back to Malton to celebrate World Book Day with the lovely people at the Ryedale Book Festival, which I took the Travelling Suitcase Library to last October. I love Malton, it's such a beautiful little town only an hour away from Leeds by train, and I received such a warm welcome last time I'm really looking forward to tonight.

I'll be in the Old Lodge Hotel, on Old Maltongate, running a Recommended Read session. This is where I talk about the benefits of reading for pleasure, my reading journey and introduce a couple of my favourite books, the  open the floor to ask others about theirs. I'll be joined by some local authors as well who I'm sure will be keen to discuss their tomes, and writing.

I'll be also having the usual bookswap, which will be free. Entrance to the main event costs £4 on the door.

And watch this space for World Book Night info...!

With World Book Night being such a blast this year at Arcadia, we've decided to do it all again, with a spooky themed book swap to celebrate Halloween.

Bring your favourite scary stories, vampire thrillers, werewolf chillers or witchy fiction.

Whether you love Point Horrors, are enthralled by the weird creepy world or Stephen King, or love your True Blood, all book tastes will be catered for as ever. I'll be filling up the Travelling Suitcase Library with as many scary stories as I can lay my hands on.

Arcadia will be serving Spooky Snacks on the menu to compliment the evening from 5-8, and the book swap will probably go on till about 9 ish.


Arcadia does not allow anyone wearing fancy dress in the pub, this isn't cos they're mean, its a licencing thing, so please please please don't come in fancy dress cos you won't get served or be able to swap any books!

Reading is proven to improve mental health, heck reading probably improves your disgestion that's how good for you it is. Trying to make people happy is a big thing for the Travelling Suitcase Library and that's why I'm really pleased to help promote Leeds Libraries #heartywords project, that aims to share those books that make your heart sing around Leeds.

Leeds Libraries and Love Arts Festival are starting a conversation to unearth the books that mean the most to people in Leeds. They are inviting you to thinkabout which reads have uplifted, soothed, inspired, challenged or moved you and to talk about them.

One of the best bits about a book swap is the talking (and often laughter) that goes with it. We would love to know what makes specific books special toyou and why you would share them with someone else.

To get involved,  join the debate on Twitter #heartywords, post your thoughts on the Leeds Libraries  Facebook Page  www.facebook.com/leedslibraries and look out for special postcards in libraries, on mobile libraries and at Love Arts festival events.

The industrious librarians will be collecting your choice of book (and it can be any genre, any type) and creating a longlist in November to see whether people share some of the same choices. In December, they will shortlist and produce book displays with copies in library branches across the city. Visit your local library to see if your book is included.

My personal books that always cheer me up I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith and Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. I'm looking forward to finding out everyone elses.