World Book Night 2011 Givers Global Challenge: My first giveaway/release

WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT TO BE CHOSEN as one of the bookgivers of the 2011 World Book Night held in the UK on 5 March 2011. In my previous journals/posts, I mentioned that I created/initiated a group challenge thru WBN website entitled, WBN 2011 Givers Global Challenge which aims to encourage bookgivers to share a dozen of books (or more) every year (at least one book per month).

This challenge is an independent activity but somehow support WBN (UK) mission to distribute books every year. The WBN organiser selected 20,000 givers during the launching and printed 1,000,000 copies of 25 titles.

On a personal level, to support this worldwide campaign and for this month (March) I am giving out "new paperback copies" of TALL STORY written by Candy Gourlay. Candy is a Filipino by birth and this book is about the story of Bernardo who happens to be an eight-foot tall lad and lives with his relatives in one of the towns in Metro Manila. His neighbours believe that he is a hero and saves the town from the earthquakes. The story is not only for young readers but also for those who have young hearts and for those who believe in miracles.

MECHANICS/TERMS/CONDITIONS. To get this free book, just do the following:

1. Join in the World Book Night or BookCrossing. This is optional at the moment, but winners are obliged to register the books with BookCrossing.

2. Write a comment in this post, with information about your first name, location (country), website (if you have). Only the winners will be asked for the complete mailing address.

3. Read the book, write a journal (in BookCrossing), and pass/release it. Winners have to share the books with friends and family.

4. You have only one (1) month (maximum period) to read the book upon receipt from post.

5. The book recipient will be chosen by lottery.

6. Unfortunately, not all countries will qualify for this giveaways. This is the reason why you have to specify your country of residence. Participants from UK, Europe, US, Australia including some part of Asia (Philippines, Hongkong, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.) are ELIGIBLE TO JOIN

7. Entries (thru your comments) will be accepted until 15 March 2011 (midnite). This is extended until 20th March 2011. Of course, you can still write your comments after midnite but it will not be counted for the giveaways.

UPDATES: (11/03/2011) Tall Story has been shortlisted in the following British book awards: Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize, Blue Peter Favourite Story Prize, the Leeds Children’s Book Prize and the Hillingdon Secondary School Book Prize, Branford Boase, the Redbridge Children’s Book Award, the UKLA Book Award and the Carnegie Medal. The book is now available in the US since February 08, 2011.

Why Tall Story? Ive heard about the book launching last year at the Philippine Embassy (London) thru a friend who happens to work in the embassy. I bought the book at Waterstone's Belfast on the 3rd March 2011 and finished reading it on the day of the WBN 2011 launching (05 March). I thought that this story should be shared to others thru this read-release challenge. The author recently expressed her gratitude for choosing her debut novel and also announced my giveaway challenge in her Facebook fanpage.

Finally, this free book giveaway challenge is not part of the World Book Night 2011 launched on the 5th March 2011 but a personal commitment to support WBN project. In addition, I did not get any endorsement from the author or publisher, and this is solely my personal offer.

Book Catcher 2011 Series Two courtesy of World Book Night

IN CELEBRATION OF WORLD BOOK NIGHT (WBN) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Waterstone's Bookshop (Fountain Street) organised an event for talk/book signing, including a book quiz - Book Hunt. A refresment was served as well.

Since Im one of the WBN givers, I had took the opportunity to distribute copies of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. It was a surprise for me to have my own small table to display the books and easier for guests to grab a copy.


In relation to the talk/book signing, there were two local Irish writers/authors invited for the event, Tim Brannigan and Alf McCreary. Both of the writers spoke about the inception/excerpts of their books, Where are you really from? and Titanic Port, respectively. It was a hearthwarming but funny chat from Tim, who wrote his own personal experience - a memoir of an adopted child by his own biological mother! Well, I cant stop myself not to get a copy and asked him to sign...This is a rare opportunity to meet indie authors like Tim and of course, be able to read his book that got an initial offer to make into a film/movie production.

Aside from Tim's memoir book, I also met some WBN givers and swapped books with them: Dissolution (C.J. Sansom) from Damian and A Time Balance (Rohinton Mistry) from Clare. Expect that these two books will travel a long way!

Note: If you want to join the WBN 2011 Givers Global Challenge, please click HERE or you can visit its FACEBOOK PAGE.

World Book Night 2011 Givers (Read-Release) Global Challenge

WHEN I READ THE EMAIL SENT BY Jamie Byng (Chair, WBN) on the day of the World Book Night 2011, two things lingered in my mind. First, the achievement for being part of the project and secondly, what I can do next after giving my 48 books. Jamie says that "WBN has been fuelled by a huge amount of goodwill and a profound love of books and a belief in the importance of reading." He adds that this is because of PATIENCE AND PASSION displayed by WBN givers since the application started in December 2010. As givers, our patience and passion for books could be the key to sustain this project, not only here in the UK region but hopefully around the world. This undertaking is borderless, no boundaries, and importantly it crosses cultures and encourages every one to be generous thru book sharing/giving. Having said that, I would like to invite every member and (non-member) to participate or do something that you think contribute to achieve this Givers Challenge. Generally, WORLD BOOK NIGHT 2011 GIVERS CHALLENGE is quite similar to our individual commitment to read a number of books a year. Thus, we can set a number of books to be shared or released elsewhere. Initially, for this WBN 2011 Givers Challenge we can do possible commitments: We can target 12 books to read per year, consequently, pass it on or give it to someone; OR we can target more than that, including books that we havent read! The ultimate goal is to GIVE A DOZEN OF BOOKS A YEAR. We can register these 12 books in WBN and BookCrossing and make a journal each of this book stating that this is part of your WBN 2011 Givers Challenge. You can even create your own blogsite/website as part of this challenge. Be inspired... "No reason at all not to READ and SHARE or GIVE a book..."

CLICK HERE TO TAKE PART...THANKS AND GOOD LUCK

World Book Night 2011: Im one of the bookgivers

"A million reasons to read

(and share or give) a book..."

This is one of the 25 books to be distributed on the 5th March 2011 during the World Book Night celebration in United Kingdom. Im fortunate to be one of the book-givers and distributing 48 copies of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.

About the Project: World Book Night is a celebration of great writing and the power of books and the pleasures of reading. This book is one of 40,000 copies printed of each of the 25 brilliant titles selected for World Book Night 2011. That's 1,000,000 books to be read and enjoyed and then shared. Be part of the reading revolution.

About the Book: London 1862. Sue Trinder, orphaned at birth, grows up among petty thieves - fingersmiths - under the rough but loving care of Mrs Sucksby and her "family". But for the moment she draws breath, Sue's fate is linked to that of another orphan growing up in a gloomy mansion not too many miles away.

For additional information, click the link: World Book Night 2011

(Inside Waterstone's bookshop, Belfast)