George Mason University (in Virginia) has a book/author festival every year called, Fall for the Book, and it’s been going on all week, extending through Sunday, and the university was present Neil Gaiman with an award. The entry to the ceremony was free, we just had to email someone and then once we got to the arts center, show them the email, get our names checked and get the tickets which was really awesome. I went with a friend, her friends, and her cousins (who I know from work). They told us if we had a question for Neil, we could write it on an index card. I couldn’t think of one, but Ariana (only 13yrs old) did.

We had pretty decent seats (and apparently there was a total of 1800 people there). He came out and was just wonderful. He read the prologue of his new book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane (coming out next year) and I was blown away. I don’t much care to be read to, but he as a very lovely reading voice. I don’t know if that’s just because he’s British, but it was great. And the story seems like it’s going to be a really good book.

Then he answered a bunch of questions, including Ariana’s which was, “What was your favorite book to write?” He said he couldn’t really decide. His favorite books to write are also his least favorite to write because of the extreme highs and lows of the plot. He really enjoyed writing his new novel because he wrote things that he’s never done before, but he also really enjoyed American Gods. There were questions about his writing and advice which he also answered, a few select Doctor Who questions (and his Doctor is Doctor number 2). Then he read a new short story that he’d written for a charity anthology and it was actually pretty creepy, and as I sat alone in the car after dropping off my coworker and her cousins, I thought about it and had a creepy feeling the reminder of the drive home.

Neil Gaiman was delightfully charming and funny and it was just a genuine joy to go see him speak, even though it was only about an hour and a half long. Apparently there was a VIP meet and greet, but we didn’t have the tickets to that. He didn’t do a signing either, which I completely understand because there were 1800 people, we would have been there all night. You could buy some signed copies of American Gods, which I ended up passing on because of the price. And I already have the book on my kindle.

it was a great experience, a real thrill. Maybe next year we (at least Sinead and I) will see if we can do more of the events, and hopefully do the National Book Day at the Library of Congress that John Green was at, but that’s an entirely different story.

Like I said, I don’t enjoy being read to, but I’m considering listening to the audio book of Coraline, because Neil Gaiman does the narration, and I really enjoyed his reading voice.