Authors mark book day by giving away extra chapters

It’s also the Unesco International Day of the Book and World Book Night. On Monday night a million books are to be given away free.

How it works is this: it’s an international event, celebrated in Britain, the USA and Germany in partnership with the BBC. The charity gives books to thousands of people who are happy to be “givers” and they – 20,000 across the UK – hand them out to people who they think will benefit most from the gift of a free book.

My book, King Crow, has been picked as a recommended read by fellow Yorkshire author David Peace.

That means that for each copy of The Damned Utd given away on the night, there will be the first three chapters of my novel, together with a recommendation from David himself. I’m delighted to be picked by an author I have long admired.

My book, King Crow, which The Guardian called “poetic and with moments of beauty” tells the story of a teenage boy who uses an obsession with birdwatching to hide from a chaotic home life, the rundown estates of Salford and the problems of moving school. I’m proud to say it’s the only debut novel selected for the scheme.

Other recommended writers are: Graham Greene, Jorge Luis Borges, Wilkie Collins, Jeanette Winterson and GK Chesterton. As you can imagine, I’m really quite pleased to be among this illustrious company.

It’s been an interesting few months. Just before Christmas I won The Guardian’s Not the Booker award.

Through the extra publicity, the publishers, Hebden Bridge-based Bluemoose Books, quickly sold out of the first edition and we are now onto a second edition of the book. On top of that, a very big film company is showing interest in adapting the novel (although I can’t tell you who).

Obviously, I’m hoping the additional publicity generated by World Book Night will mean another push for my book, but it’s not just about that for me.

I’m also really interested in the idea of reaching people who wouldn’t ordinarily pick up a novel.

I attended an opening of an exhibition of an avant-garde artist recently. I was surprised by how few people there were. Where were his family? Where were his friends?

When I asked him why they hadn’t turned up, he said, “I don’t need an audience to validate my work.”

Well, I think I’m a long way from that stance. I like prizes, I like awards, and I like audiences. If I didn’t want to sell books I wouldn’t write them. I don’t see any shame in aspiring to reach a wide audience.

I always hoped my book would be popular with all ages and all backgrounds. I don’t like the sound of one hand clapping.

I’m doing a few events to coincide with World Book Night and tomorrow, I’m appearing at Huddersfield Central Library at 1pm.

Despite it being a day event and two days before World Book Night – this is Kirklees’ World Book Night event.

On Monday 23 April – I’m appearing at Hebden Bridge Library for World Book Night at 7pm. On both occasions, I’ll be giving a short reading and talking about my writing, followed by an audience question-and-answer session.

King Crow, published by Bluemoose, is available now and for more details of World Book Night visit www.worldbooknight.org