In Delhi, I used to see poor kids hawking magazines and newspapers like Free Ads at the crowded traffic signals. Delhi traffic is mad and jams are not uncommon.
When my first novel had come out, I contemplated why not use this medium to increase the publisher's bottomline? But then I had brushed it off as a cheap and crazy idea.
Little did I know that a crazy novelist will do something similar in the far off United Kingdom. The guy is Robert Chalmer and here's what he is doing to promote his novel:
"At lunchtime, the Otley branch of HSBC is a hive of activity. On the pavement outside, a writer stands with a bag bulging with copies of his latest novel. He's attempting to engage with a Londoner who is fidgeting uncomfortably under close questioning.
"Hello. Would you like a book?"
"No, you're alright, mate."
"It's free."
"No, really, I don't want it."
"I wrote it. Go on, you might like it."
"I don't really read books, so it'd a bit of a waste of time."
"You could sell it on eBay and buy beer instead."
"Nah, you're alright, thanks."
"You sure? Do you know anyone else who reads books?"
"No."
"Oh. What, no one?"
Read the full story here.
"The world is what it is; men who are nothing, who allow themselves to become nothing, have no place in it." ― V.S. Naipaul, A Bend in the River
5 comments:
Zaf, I've got a nice little surprise for you. Something in the way of books, which you'll like...I hope!
Hey, thanks. Where's the surprise? Where should I look for it?
Loved this story, Zafar!
Thanks Sharon for dropping by!
Post a Comment