Thank you to Hiromi for sending through this photo of The Fountain in the Forest beneath a canopy of Tokyo cherry blossom. I love it.

I’m always delighted when friends old and new send a photo of a book of mine that they’re reading, or have spotted in a shop or a library. Thank you so much! It’s an unexpected benefit of social media, and it gives me great pleasure to share them on.

Writing is a solitary activity, and your photos are always a pleasure to receive. These pictures remind me of the network of readers and bookshops; of books passing from hand to hand, and of holding a book in your hands to read. A reminder that books and stories are a real connection, but one that is created by the reader just as much as the writer. And that once they are out in the world, your books and stories have a life of their own, and you never know who will pick them up next.

Thanks, all ;)

§

Buy Tony White’s latest novel The Fountain in the Forest via publisher Faber and Faber…

If you’d like to receive invites to forthcoming events and launches, sign up for my occasional newsletter…