2009 TOUR SCHEDULE

FEBRUARY
UK
Saturday 7 - 15.00 - Public signing at Tales On Moon Lane, Herne Hill, London.

MARCH
Tuesday 24 - Schools event at Tottenham Hotspur, White Hart Lane, London.

MAY
Monday 4 - 11.00am - Public signing at FALMOUTH BOOKSELLER, 21 Church St, Falmouth, TR11 3EG. signing for 2hrs 20mins.
Monday 4 - 2.00pm - Public signing at WATERSTONES TRURO, 11 Boscawen Street, Truro, TR1 2QU. signing for 2hrs 15mins.
Tuesday 5 - 11.30am - Schools event at Notre Dame School, Plymouth. approx 250 students.
Tuesday 5 - 6.30pm - Public event at WATERSTONES PLYMOUTH , 65-69 New George Street, Plymouth, PL1 1RJ. approx 350 fans.
Wednesday 6 - 11.00am - School event at St John Kitto Community College, Pennycross, Plymouth. approx 200 students.
Wednesday 6 - 4.30pm - Public signing at WHS EXETER, 34/35 Guildhall Shopping Centre, Exeter, EX4 3NJ. signing for 1hr 50mins.
Thursday 7 - 1.45pm - School event at St Joseph’s School, Church Rd, Laverstock, Salisbury. approx 300 students.
Thursday 7 - 7.30pm - Public event at ATHENAEUM THEATRE WARMINSTER, 18-20 High Street, Warminster, BA12 9AE. approx 25 fans.
Friday 8 - 11.15am - School event at St Katherine's School, Ham Green, North Somerset. approx 200 students.
Friday 8 - 4.30pm - Public signing at WATERSTONES BATH, 4-5 Milsom Street, Bath, BA1 1DA. signing for 2hrs 15mins.
Saturday 9 - 11.00am - Public event in NEWPORT at Charles St Community Learning Centre, Charles Street, Newport, South Wales, NP20 1JU. approx 100 fans.
Saturday 9 - 3.00pm - Public signing at BORDERS CARDIFF, The David Morgan Building, 14 The Hayes, Cathays, CF10 1AH. signing for 2hrs 45mins.
Sunday 10 - 12.00pm - Public signing at BORDERS SWANSEA, Parc Fforestfach, Pontardulais Road, Swansea, SA5 4BA. signing for 3hrs 45mins.

NORWAY - NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL, IN LILLEHAMMER
Friday 29 - 12.00pm - Schools event at The Cinema. approx 200 students.
Friday 29 - 5.00pm - Public event with a group of Norwegian writers in The Park, arranged by Norwegian Writers For Children (NBU).
Saturday 30 - 1.00pm - Public event at The Cinema. approx 150-200 fans.

JULY
IRELAND
Thursday 9 - 2.30pm - Public event at the Maritime Hotel, BANTRY, county Cork. approx 200 fans.

AUGUST
UK
Monday 17 - 5.30pm - Public, group reading for Amnesty International Imprisoned Writers Series at The EDINBURGH Book Festival.
Tuesday 18 - 10.00am - Public event at The Edinburgh Book Festival. approx 500 fans. signing for 4hrs.

OCTOBER
UK/IRELAND
Thursday 1 - 10.30a.m - School event at Rich Mix Cinema, Bethnal Green Road, London E2. approx 180 students.
Thursday 1 - 2.00p.m. - School event as part of StarLit Festival in Shoreditch, London. approx 30 students.
Thursday 1 - p.m. - Launch party in Central London. Invited guests only.
Friday 2 - 12.00pm - School event at St Andrews High School For Boys, Sackville Road, Worthing. approx 100 students.
Friday 2 - 4.00p.m. - Public signing at Waterstones Brighton Clock Tower, 71-74 North Street, Brighton BN1 1ZA. signing for 2hrs 10mins.
Friday 2 - 7.00p.m. - Public event at Chichester College, Westgate Fields, Chichester, PO19 1SB. approx 300 fans. signing for 3 hrs.
Saturday 3 - 10.30a.m. - Public signing at Waterstones, 11A Union Galleries, Broadmead, Bristol BS1 3XD. signing for 3hrs.
Saturday 3 - 4.00p.m. - Public event at Central Library, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3HQ. approx 100 fans. signing for 1hr 30mins.
Sunday 4 - 12.00p.m. - Public signing at Borders, 34 Coliseum Way, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire Oaks, Cheshire CH65 9HD. signing for 4hrs.
Monday 5 - 11.00am - School event at Bramhall High School, Seal Road, Stockport. approx 600 students.
Monday 5 - 4.00p.m. - Public signing at Simply Books, 228 Moss Lane, Bramhall SK7 1BD. signing for 2hrs.
Monday 5 - 7.00p.m. - Public event at Waterstones, 91 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BW. approx 120 fans.
Tuesday 6 - 11.00a.m. - School event at Wetherby High School, Hallfield Lane, Wetherby, West Yorkshire. approx 200 students.
Tuesday 6 - 4.00p.m. - Public signing at Waterstones, 17 Newport Crescent, Middlesborough TS1 5UA. signing for 2hrs.
Wednesday 7 - 10.30a.m. - School event at Dyke House School, Mapleton Road, Hartlepool, Teeside. approx 360 students.
Wednesday 7 - 4.30p.m. - Public signing at WHSmith, Gateshead Metro Centre, Gateshead NE11 9YR. signing for 2hrs 40mins.
Thursday 8 - 11.00a.m. - Public signing at Borders, Unit 7, Gallagher Retail Park, East Dock Street, Dundee DD1 3JS. signing for 2hrs 10mins.
Thursday 8 - 4.00p.m. - Public signing at Waterstones, Unit 1, Thistle Marches, Stirling SK8 2EA. signing for 2hrs 15mins.
Thursday 8 - 7.00p.m. - Public event at Wishaw Library, Kenilworth Avenue, Wishaw ML2 7LP. approx 180 fans. signing for 2hrs.
Friday 9 - 10.30a.m. - Schools event at Adelaides Auditorium, 209 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4HZ. approx 350 students. signing for 2hrs.
Friday 9 - 4.00p.m. - Public signing at Borders, 98 Buchanan Street, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow G1 3HA. signing for 3hrs.
Saturday 10 - 10.10a.m. - Public signing at Waterstones, Bluewater Shopping Centre, West Village, Greenhithe, Bluewater DA9 9SE. signing for 6hrs 30mins!!!
Sunday 11 - 11.00a.m. - Public signing at Easons, Unit G1, The Pavilion Shopping Centre, Swords, County Dublin. signing for 2hrs 45mins.
Sunday 11 - 3.00p.m. - Public signing at Easons, Level 3, Unit 12-14 Dundrum Town Centre, Sandyford Road, Dundrum, Dublin 14. signing fort 2hrs 30mins.
Monday 12 - 10.30a.m. - Schools events at Ashbourne Library, Killegland Square, Ashbourne, County Meath. approx 200 students.
Monday 12 - 3.00p.m. - Public signing at Waterstones, Scotch Hall, Marsh Road, Drogheda. signing for 2hrs.
Monday 12 - 7.00p.m. - Public event at Blanchardstown Library, Civic Centre, Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15. approx 150 fans. signing for 1hr 40mins.
Tuesday 13 - 10.00a.m. - Schools event at Dunamaise Arts Centre, Church Street, Portlaoise, County Laoise. approx 240 students. signing for 2hrs 30mins.
Tuesday 13 - 4.00p.m. - Public signing at Easons, 9 O'Connell Street, Limerick City. signing for 2hrs (fast! had to attend the film premiere of Cirque Du Freak later - would normally have taken approx 3hrs.)

SWEDEN
Friday 23 - a.m. - Two school events in LUND, Sweden. Part of the LiteraLund Book Festival.
Friday 23 - 2.15p.m. - Conference event for adults in LUND, Sweden. Part of the LiteraLund Book Festival.
Saturday 24 - 12.00pm - Public event in LUND, Sweden. Part of the LiteraLund Book Festival.

NOVEMBER
UK/IRELAND
Friday 13 - Schools event in Swindon. approx 600 children.
Saturday 21 - 11.30a.m. - Public signing at Hughes & Hughes Book Store, Redmond Square, Wexford. signing for 2hrs.
Saturday 21 - 3.00p.m. - Public event with Eoin Colfer at Whites Hotel, Wexford. approx 200 fans.

* * * * * * * * * *

Another busy year! I visited Norway and Sweden for the first time, and had a fab time in both countries. In the UK and Ireland my tours hit higher heights than ever before, culminating in the mammoth sucess of the Hell’s Heroes tour. In terms of crowds and people turning up, it was my biggest and most successful tour ever!!! The signing sessions went on so long that I often didn't get to my hotel until late at night -- I got a lot less sleep on the tour than I had imagined!!! Some of the stats from my 13 days on the road were:

The longest signing — Waterstones, Bluewater — 6 and a half hours!!!

Average signing time at 13 signing sessions — 2 hours 50 minutes!!!

No signing was less than 2 hours!!! (The first time ever that every signing lasted at least two hours!)

Number of children at school and public events — 3110!!!

It wasn’t my longest tour ever (I’ve cut back from doing 3 or 4 week tours — I’m getting too old for those!!) but it was easily my busiest. I covered a huge amount of ground, met more fans at signings and public events than ever before, and didn’t have a single weak turnout at any session. That’s virtually unheard of on the road — you always get at least one disappointment, where the numbers are lower than average. But this time every single stop was a winner!!!!