Went to delightful launch of Garen Ewing’s amazing new graphic novel The Rainbow Orchid tonight at Foyles’ Gallery. I had seen the book in the agency but I was not prepared for the amazing drawings hanging up in the gallery, drawings showing how Garen drew the pages of the novel.
Here is the author (on the right) with his Blake Friedmann agent Oli Munson.
What was so nice (in this rat-race world of editors being fired and advances being smaller than 20 years ago) was the enthusiasm. People had come from far and wide: a couple who had never met Garen but had followed the gestation of the book for 5 years online and had corresponded with him had made him a cake with a symbol from the book on the cake.
I realised that there is something magical about being involved in the creative world. It has nothing to do with money but with talent and craft and aspiration to be the best and to move people and make the world a better place.
Yes I know what George Orwell said (since I love quoting him): that sheer egotism is a large part of why writers write. But when it gives so many so much pleasure then it is magical. Good to be reminded of that.
You can get to see some of Garen’s work by clicking on this link: http://www.blakefriedmann.co.uk/bookClients/_302/
Tags: book launches, Garen Ewing, George Orwell, The Rainbow Orchid