Two things: one an account of an interesting interaction I had this morning, the other an appeal to readers.
First, the interaction. My book of interviews Martin McGuinness: The Man I Knew , as many of you know, was launched in Derry, Belfast and Dublin in the week of McGuinness’s anniversary. In all three cases it was launched in an Easons book store. Since I know that the positioning of a book in a bookstore is crucial to its sales, I drove to the Abbey Centre in Newtownabbey, outside Belfast, to check the position in their Easons store.
Lots of books, fiction and non-fiction, but no sign of mine. So I collared a young lad working there and asked him if he had the McGuinness book. He said he wasn’t sure, give him a minute. So then he went into what appeared a back area, and eventually came out with a copy of the book.
“Do you have many copies?” I asked.
“I’m not sure – two or three anyway” the lad told me.
“And why do you have it back there and not on display?”
“Oh. I think that’s because this is a political book.”
“But there are lots of political books over there” I said, gesturing towards the prime display point just inside the door. “Lots of books about American politics.”
“Well, I think it’s because this is a book about politics here and this is a contested area”.
So I pointed to the back of the book, where the blurb reads ‘To some Martin McGuinness was a terrorist, a figure of hate, while to others he was a hero who helped bring about lasting peace in his journey from freedom fighter to respected politician. Martin McGuinness:The Man I Knew eschews both extremes and seek to provide a portrait of a real person.’ “Doesn’t this make it clear that this is a book that provides a rounded picture of Martin McGuinness?”
“Well, we were told to put it back there, because it’s about politics here.”
Now I want to emphasise – this was just a nice young lad, doing his job as best he could. But why, if you have a book that isn’t for Adults Only, do you keep it hidden behind the counter, as far away from display as it can get? Does Easons in Abbey Centre have a policy where they keep some books away from the public eye? And on what grounds? As I drove away, I reflected on the fact that my McGuinness book wasn’t reviewed by the Irish News, by the Belfast Telegraph, The Newsletter or The Irish Times. The Irish Independent did have a review of sorts, although it really was more a political column – but that said, they did acknowledge its existence. I was promised an interview on the book by BBC Radio Ulster/Raidio Uladh, but the presenter must have forgotten, because it never happened. So no Radio Ulster, no RTÉ radio or television. Nought. Nil. Nada. All of this may be coincidental and I may be displaying my well-known paranoid side. On the other hand, it might be because it’s a tedious book – although a review/interview would be a chance to rubbish it. I did get an interview on Newstalk radio in Dublin, which some people heard. Not many in the north, I’d say, but some in the Dublin area.
OK. That’s my interaction – or non-interaction – rant. Now the appeal. If you live near an Easons store – or any bookstore, although Easons in particular – would you mind paying a visit and checking if the book is visible (relax, you don’t have to buy it except you want to). If it is, check how many copies. If it isn’t on display, ask if they have it and how many copies if they have. Essentially, check if your experience is similar or different from mine in the Abbey Centre Easons.
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think I’ve ever come across a store that had a book for sale and more or less hid it behind the counter. Odd.
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