Day 2: Hornsey Library - You're in a library, you know #30days30libraries

I was invited to Hornsey library by author pals Emer Stamp and Polly Faber and we also roped in Keren David and S.F.Said too. There are a lot of lovely authors in Haringey, and I've also discovered a rather fabulous selection of fine buns ...We had arranged to meet in the cafe part of the library upstairs around lunchtime and so before then I snooped around the book shelves to get a feel for what the Hornsey's like. I'd been here once before but had mostly spent time in the children's library. I remember well it being chocker-full with little ones singing but I hadn't explored any of the other areas.The whole of the main room felt like it was humming with production. I was very lucky to get a seat as almost every desk was taken over with either text books or a computer and a slightly hunched-over person to boot.Matthew, who was studying for his Biology GCSE, had the minor misfortune of having a spare seat next to him as I'm sorry to say I disturbed his note-taking to speak to him in an appropriately hushed library whisper."I've been coming here for two weeks," he told me. "All my friends are here." He gestured to the rest of the room, the rows of backs."It's a good atmosphere for working. There's a room over there which is for quiet study. That's why all of us are here. You should look in there. But it gets very busy and so that's why I'm out here."I didn't want to disturb the quiet study room as well but here's the view from through the window.  One of the main attractions for Matthew was clearly the community that surrounded him here.When I asked why he preferred revising in the Hornsey rather than at home, he immediately responded, "Well, I can meet my friends for lunch here."As the main reason that I'd made the journey to Haringey that day was to chat to other authors over buns, I whole-heartedly understood this motivation. The library is a space to work, certainly, but also to connect to others about our work. Or completely different things. But to other actual real life people, that were sitting next to us.For Matthew going through his exams, and for me in the process of writing and publishing books, it offered us the opportunity to speak to and share with people who were doing the same thing as we were.I left Matthew still busily taking notes and went in search of the cafe.It was busy there too. S.F. almost ran towards a spare table and we deposited bags and collected chairs (having to disturb a life-drawing class that was going on in the room next door to find enough for us all.) Emer and S.F. brought with them a spectacular range of baked goods and we dug in. We were only a little icing-smeared by the time Polly and Keren joined us.We spoke about what we were each up to, shared stories and worries and jokes but approximately 90% of our author conversation was filled with buns and laughing so hard, we were shushed by a nearby table of some more teenagers revising."You're in a library, you know!" they said, warningly.But by that point, we really had the giggles.  

Day 1: Twickenham Library - My imaginary friend has powers here #30days30libraries

I managed to get in about five people's way taking photographs as I rocked up outside Twickenham library this afternoon.A family of a father and two sons, a couple of women with book bags slung over their shoulders, an older man who was standing in the doorway waiting to meet someone."Sorry," I muttered to the family as I stepped right in front of them, trying to get a straight(ish) record of this stone:I was almost taken aback when the older boy, who seemed about eight, smiled up at me. "Don't worry," he said.It's ridiculous but true that living in the capital you don't expect strangers to be friendly, let alone to forgive your clumsiness.Inside, there were a few armchairs set about the ground floor, each one nestled with person and book, bonded as though they were one.I decided to explore the children's library, partly I'm sure because of the friendly boy that had passed me as I entered.I found the family with the two sons. The friendly boy was called Henry and his brother was called Joseph.Henry showed me his favourite place to sit in the library, the seat by the window and so you could look at people going past on the street as you read, whilst Joseph preferred one of the soft green chairs, which he dubbed the poo-poo chair.They showed me some of the books they liked while their dad flicked through the shelves, adding more and more to their stack.One of them was a book which had pages designed in such a way that you could make a new creature out of two halves of different animals, an 'eleger' (elephant and tiger) or a 'zekey' (zebra and a monkey.)"Where else in the world would we be able to see a zekey?" I asked the boys.Henry thought for a moment. "Only in your imagination," he said."We come here about once every three weeks," their dad told me."We get out loads of books," said Henry. "I like to read them over and over.""It's a really great place," their dad said. I hung on his next words, sure that he might say something meaningful about libraries but he pointed towards the toilets. "Joe needed to go as soon as we got here, even though he'd just been five minutes ago.""Oh, yes," I said, my voice, I hope, only fading a little.Before they left, Henry confided that we were not alone. His imaginary friend Finley was with us too."He drives around in a tractor and likes to pull bins over and so he can eat leftover steak.""Where is he?" I asked."Well, because we're in a library, he is able to change size and make himself very, very small. He is sitting just there now."Henry pointed to the narrow slot in the machine where you place books to check them out."Why is he able to get smaller in the library?""Because all the books here give him powers," Henry said back.