A Genuine Celebration

[gillo]

I posted this to the dianawynnejones community and am putting it here for my own reference. I stopped partway through as it's late, but will post the rest, there and here, tomorrow

Comments

[intertext]

I will look forward to reading more. Thank you for capturing the event so wonderfully. I wish I could have been there! (you could imagine me there in spirit).

I don't have a DWJ icon. I really need one.

[gillo]

I did think of you and how much you would have loved being there - quite a few people from the Conference were there.

My icon is my copy of Fire and Hemlock, which DWJ signed.

The next instalment will be posted soon.

[zanthinegirl]

That sounds like a wonderful day, and a wonderful celebration of her life.

And it makes me want to pull out one of her books, so it's all good!

[gillo]

It was really worth the trip. And there is never a bad time to read a DWJ book!

[kathyh]

This is a wonderful account of what must have been a very moving day. You've really brought it to life.

He suggested that The Homeward Bounders was the most tragic and honest of her books, with the traveller who literally creates worlds for others but can never find a home for himself.

That made me sniffle a bit as "The Homeward Bounders" gutted me when I first read it and haunts me to this day.

Lovely to hear that one of her favourite authors was Georgette Heyer :)

[gillo]

Thank you.

Not only did she love Heyer, she also read all the Nesbit books aloud to her boys - I had suspected it, but was delighted it was confirmed by one of her sons. Homeward Bounders has such a painful ending, doesn't it? Honest, but agonising.

[joyeuce]

Thank you so much for posting. I wish I could have been there but life got on top of me somewhat. Reading other people's reports is the next best thing!

[gillo]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's a pity you couldn't be there, though. So many lovely people.

[coth]

Hi Gill. Good to meet yesterday. Thank you for posting.

I wrote about my memories of Diana last year, and they are now public on my Journal here: coth.livejournal.com/135481.html

Looking forward to talking more over time.

[gillo]

I really enjoyed meeting you yesterday too. I shall go to look at your memories - she was such a vital person to be with, wasn't she? I've just posted the rest of my account.