Secret Surprises at The Secret Book Swap with Alex Howard
Secret Surprises at The Secret Book Swap
At our latest Secret Book Swap in North Berwick we had an extra special secret, a surprise guest!
Author Alex Howard came along to join us, not as the evening’s guest author but simply as one of our readers joining us for the evening.
My mum, Lorraine, had chosen to bring The Library Cat, Alex’s book, as her swap. She had read it during a particularly difficult anniversary for our family, and it had been a real source of joy, making her literally laugh out loud on days where laughter was most needed.
So there she was, telling the group what she had enjoyed about the book and why they should pick it, completely unaware that the author was in the room, listening. Alex later wrote on Instagram:
“At Laura’s request, I went along in secret to her book group where her mum had chosen The Library Cat to present on. After we all shared our favourite books as part of The Secret Book Swap, I whipped off my metaphorical moustache in a Surprise Surprise-inspired moment, revealing my true identity.”
The Library Cat was the first book picked by the group, selected by Tamsyn. I told her that it was a signed copy, which of course it wasn’t. When she pointed this out, I said, “Oh don’t worry, we can fix that now… Alex, would you mind signing your book?” Alex stood up and said “of course!”. Well the whole group was stunned, none moreso than my mum who went straight over to give him a hug.
We got a brilliant photo of them together, with our cut-out of Cilla Black, who has become a kind of mascot for the Secret Book Swap, as our wrapped books are a both a surprise (surprise and “blind date with a book.”
Mum has not stopped smiling and giggling about it since, and she is already looking forward to reading Alex’s second cat-themed book, The Ghost Cat.
We are so grateful to Alex for taking the time to come down to North Berwick on a Friday night. It was such a thoughtful gesture, and a reminder that the joy of books and the connections they bring is exactly what the Secret Book Swap is all about.
Watch the reveal in our recap video from the evening, posted on our instagram:
Join us at future secret book swaps: