Photo Monday: Royal Albert Hall, 2003
I hope no one minds the photo glut here for the moment - after some major family obligations, this week should return to normal, with another Vault 27 entry (maybe something with Jo, maybe a funny story from elsewhere, maybe an outtake from the Laura Mallory interview). Meanwhile, here's the Monday (really early-Tuesday, shh) picture, dating about five years back, to June 2003, at J.K. Rowlng's Royal Albert Hall reading following the publication of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Ironically, this was the most tame of the remaining release events; it was an afternoon event populated by mostly schoolchildren, and after most people had read the just-released book. The only thing Jo Rowling did for the release night of this book was surprise a crowd at a Scotland Waterstones store and do a signing; she swears half the people there didn't know who she was (or perhaps were so unwilling to believe it was Jo Rowling in their store that they didn't give her a second look). It is possible, though, that she didn't have full recognition: the book came out after a three-year pause after the fourth, and Jo had stayed very quiet (although not writer's-blocked, as rumored) in the interim. Her picture appeared in front of every news story in the leadup, but an unannounced does run the risk of happening in front of more casual fans than those who would stalk the store for weeks had they known she was going to be there.
The picture below was also taken: a) illicitly, but I think we're well past the water-under-bridge phase with Bloomsbury, b) about 10 minutes after I had met Jo for the first time, the circumstances of which have been described in the book. Fair to say, I was a bit flustered for the rest of the day.
Awesome!! I can't imagine how it would be to be standing in line at a bookstore and then discover that the author (and Jo's definitely not just ANY author) was standing - oh, just behind that shelf there. I think I'd burst.
I never knew about this; I wasn't really part of the fandom back then - too young (and you have no idea how frustrated I've gotten that I couldn't have been born just a few years earlier!). It's going to be so indescribably a-m-a-z-i-n-g to read all about it and pretend I was there when I read your book!
Oh My God!! I remember this day in my solitary fan life here in Brazil... I did'n know de Fandom yet.
The day was June 21th, and I was crazy to read this book... and I almost died too when I discovered who died... I went in the Saraiva - a book store - and it was full of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" of Bloomsbury... and then I was reading my very first book in english without to know english - ok, I knew what was "cat", "dog", "boy", "girl", "to be" and "blue" (my favorite color) - and It took me four months to read!!
Later, I read HBP in english in 7 days and DH in 4 days!!
Anyway... when OotP realesed in portuguese here in Brazil, I read it in 3 days!! And I was very, very happy because I had learn english... and I was so much sad becaus of Sirius...
I am not perpectly in english... but I can read and write with some spelling mistakes... hahaha
Melissa, you are so lucky... you met Jo Rowling!! I think I would cry and scare her with my shock reaction!!
I think I would only can said that I love her and said "Thank you" for made my life better!!
That's such a nice picture!! I love the Ford Anglia hanging from the roof. It must have been such a night.
Order of the Phoenix was not a fun release for me. I ordered it on Amazon, since thay hadn't taken to do midnight release parties for the books in English here yet (Argentina) and it took DAYS to arrive. By the time it did, I had already read a quarter of it on the online translations. Order was also the first book I read in English, and I was only fourteen.
Lovely photo. The Phoenix midnight release was my first and I took my youngest sister who was 14. After more than an hour in line we finally got our books. I was on edge the whole time - scared some maniac would storm the store yelling out spoilers while we waited. With an hour-long drive back home to where I lived I splurged at the counter on the audiobook. I just couldn't bear to wait another minute to start "reading"! It turned out well worth my money. There's something wonderful about hearing the book read aloud.
I agree. I would have been in shock after meeting her too! And I probably wouldn't believe that J.K. Rowling was at my local bookstore either. I mean, come one, it's J.K. Rowling.
lol it looks like the car is goin to crash into her!
I am without a doubt going to go to the release of the scottish book OR maybe beedle! pity there wasnt any major releases here in ireland for the other books and i was unable to travel to the uk!
can't wait for HaH melissa!
OOTP was the first release I attended to (in Brazil, of course), since I hadn't read Harry Potter prior to 2003. I have such great memories from that night... I went to a book store with some friend and we almost lost our minds when we found who had died (couldn't believe, not really, even when we had the book on our hands...). And later, the sheer despair knowing that I couldn't have the book and couldn't find out HOW in the name of Merlim THAT had happened...
Mein gott, such intense emotions with just one book. And to think it was just the begining...
Thank you, Melissa, for bringing out these memories again. I can't wait to relieve it all with your book!
I can't believe that, Melissa! The people in Waterstones Scotland must have been in shock - I mean, this is JK ROWLING!!! THE JK Rowling!
And you were "a bit flustered" after meeting JK Rowling? I think I would have gone into shock!