69ers: the 1969 IOW festival novel

Still selling!

jonblake12 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:22:57 +0000

My latest royalty statement shows that 69ers is actually selling quite well in the USA, despite the fact I’ve not marketed it there, nor sold any books personally stateside. The world of booksales is a perennial mystery. I’m looking forward to promoting the book further in 2012, on the back of two big publishing events for me: The Last Free Cat is being brought out in the US by top publishers Albert Whitman, and my 100,000 selling picture book You’re A Hero, Daley B is being reissued by Walker Books. I’m hoping to do some promotional events with illustrator Axel Scheffler – Daley B was the now famous illustrator’s first picture book.

For music fans, I’m now putting the finishing touches to This is the Sound of Adamsdown which will be released shortly, as will a CD of my own songs as sung by me!

Perfect Christmas gift for the over-50 music fan

jonblake12 — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:23:23 +0000

I don’t want to stereotype my readers, but a glance at the glowing reviews for 69ers on Amazon and elsewhere does suggest that folk who remember 1969 particularly love the book. The first print run is almost sold out, but signed copies are still available – just click on the link to the right.

I do want to stress, however, that there is nothing old-farty or blindly nostalgic about 69ers. I believe the novel has relevance to the world today – particularly since the wind of rebellion is once more blowing!

Happy Christmas/solstice to all who’ve read the book or shown an interest in this site.

Introducing my editor

jonblake12 — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 07:48:04 +0000

69ers is still selling well – Waterstones on the Isle of Wight have now ordered their third boxfull and my own online store on Amazon has been consistently busy. There are numerous reviews on the web, all of them very complimentary: fans of the book have been most generous in spreading the word.

I have had many editors during my 25 year writing career, of varying abilities, but there is one person whose opinion is more important to me than any other: Natalie, my partner of 16 years. The best-read and most literate person I’ve known, a published writer herself and an experienced BBC journalist (not to mention a fantastic mum!), I trust Natalie’s judgement implicitly: if she tells me a story or book is not worth publishing, it’s back to the drawing board.

Though 69ers is set before Natalie was born, she gave the novel the thumbs-up – though she did find a couple of flaws, I’m glad to say. At 55,000 words, it’s a bit short for her tastes, but then I write for people with a short attention span, like myself!

Sex in the foam: fact and fiction

jonblake12 — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 09:24:50 +0000

When a couple had sex in a pile of foam at the 1969 IOW festival, the papers all gleefully reported it, with the usual hypocritical condemnations. The event is woven into the narrative of 69ers, with the hapless central character, Scott, finding his ankle used for purchase by the happy couple, to his considerable discomfort.

Here’s me reading part of the scene at the June event in Isle of Wight Waterstones.

Isle of Wight trapped in 1969

jonblake12 — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:20:20 +0000

The Isle of Wight has often suffered criticism that it is stuck in the past, but on Monday 27 June 2011, it really was 1969 in Newport Waterstones. A host of local talent performed the songs of Bob Dylan while I waffled on about the famous Dylan festival, read from 69ers and fielded a few questions from an enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience. Many thanks to Waterstones manager Paul Armfield for organising the event, on the back of featuring 69ers in the store’s window during the recent IOW festival. The book is selling very well: now we hope word-of-mouth will keep the ball rolling.

I’ll post video of the event shortly, but for now here is a clip of Paul entertaining the remaining crowd after the event was over.

At last the home movies!

jonblake12 — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:21:48 +0000

I’ve been promising for a long time to post the home movie I have of the 1969 IOW festival – and finally, here it is. No sound, unfortunately, but at least it is in colour, as opposed to the uniformly black-and-white footage available on youtube. The vid shows the Edgar Broughton Band, Free, The Who (including their helicopter landing), the arena including the huge ill-fated disco tent, Marsha Hunt backstage, and the scene the day after, including yours truly at 14, lamely attempting humour. Speaking of which, 69ers has had a uniformly excellent reception so far: now I’m looking forward to appearing at Isle of Wight (Newport) Waterstones on Monday 27th June, 7pm (with supporting musicians!), and Southampton West Quay Waterstones on Thursday 30th June, 12 till 2pm.

For those who can’t see the above due to record industry censorship, here is a second version with a soundtrack from my current music project:

Upcoming appearances

jonblake12 — Thu, 26 May 2011 09:53:00 +0000

Now that 69ers has been successfully launched, I’ll be making some personal appearances to promote the book. On June 4th (2.30pm), I’ll be at the Hay Festival in the Hexagon: though this session is devoted to one of my recent books for children, I’ll have copies of 69ers with me and will be happy to talk about it informally afterwards – and sell it of course!
On June 27th I’ll be over on the Isle of Wight for what promises to be a great evening at Newport Waterstones (starting 7pm). I’ll be giving readings from the book, then it’ll be over to some local talent to give us some Dylan songs. I’m hoping to arrange a couple more events in the area and will advertise them if and when they happen.
It wasn’t an easy choice to publish this book myself after twenty-seven years being published by the likes of Hodder, OUP, Penguin and Heinemann, so I shall be most grateful to my readers for getting reviews online and spreading the word that this is a well readable book, which of course it is!
To buy a copy from me at Amazon, click on the cover to the right. It will be available in bookstores also: the Welsh Books Council has agreed to distribute it within Wales, and all other stores are able to order it. I see it is even available in India, at a very reasonable price, and am happy to have had fan messages from Alaska, where an enterprising library got hold of it before I did!
There is a facebook page for 69ers, though I haven’t done much to promote this yet, so please join if you like the book.

STOP PRESS: Waterstones Southampton West Quay is now confirmed for Thurs 30 June. I’ll be signing books there from 12 to 2pm.

69ers launches on Dylan’s 70th

jonblake12 — Wed, 18 May 2011 10:05:50 +0000

69ers will be launched, as promised, on Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday, Tues 24th May. The launch will take place at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, at 7pm. I should have copies by Friday 20th, however, so it’s worth putting in an order now by going to my bookstore on Amazon. Check out extracts from the book here. Unfortunately the horrendously embarrassing sex scenes aren’t suitable for posting, so you’ll just have to buy the book to read these!

Check out the archives here if you’re new to the site, and have a look at the videos – especially the French tv documentary which gives such a unique insight into the 1969 event.

If you know anyone who may be interested in 69ers, don’t forget to send them a link!

On Dylan’s 70th, re-experience Dylan in ’69

jonblake12 — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:00:28 +0000

The production of 69ers is well advanced and I intend to have it published on May 24th, Dylan’s 70th birthday. The book will be available through Amazon and regular UK bookstores at £6.99; the Welsh Books Council have agreed to distribute it throughout Wales.

The cover price is the cheapest possible given the need to cover the cost of production and allow for the cut taken by retailers. I could do it cheaper if I had thousands more copies printed, but despite my great faith in this book, that is a risk I cannot afford!

However, I shall also be selling the book via this site and personal appearances, and this will be at a heavy discount.

No plans to bring out an e-book yet. The cover picture has already cost me £274 and will be even more for electronic use!

Speaking of which, my young adult thriller The Last Free Cat is due to come out as an e-book shortly: a publisher is also about to bring out the book in the USA.

I’m appearing at the Hay-on-Wye festival on June 4th (2.30pm, the Hexagon), talking about one of my kids’ books. I’m sure I’ll have a couple of copies of 69ers with me.

Update: this site now has a new easy-to-remember domain address: www.dylan69.com.

IOW69: the Welsh connection

jonblake12 — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:31:28 +0000

I recently heard that I’m on the shortlist for the 2011 Tir Na Nog award for best English language children’s book with a Welsh connection (Mutiny on the School Ship Bounty). There’s also a Welsh connection to the Isle of Wight festival of 1969 – besides the fact that Bob Dylan took his name from Wales’s most famous poet, Dylan Thomas.

Tommy Farr of the Rhondda, considered by many the greatest British heavyweight boxer, was the father of the 1969 MC, Rikki Farr, the most prevalent voice in Woodside Bay, and Gary Farr, one of the performers on that famous weekend. Tommy fought Joe Louis at the height of his powers, and in many people’s minds was cheated of victory. Rikki, who gets a fair few mentions in 69ers, emigrated to the States after his moment in the IOW sun, while Gary sadly died of a heart attack in 1994.

The next article I post will give the publication date of 69ers and details of how you can get the book.