David Sedaris - Public Signing for The Land and Its People
Attendance options:
We are excited to welcome David Sedaris to the bookshop for a public signing in celebration of his new book, The Land and Its People. This collection of comedic autobiographical essays has already been praised by the likes of Graham Norton, Adam Kay, and Ian McKellen. Join us on the afternoon of Sunday 5th July to pick up your copy, meet David, and get your book signed and personalised.
We encourage you to RSVP or pre-order your copy of the book and a spot in the queue to help us gauge attendance. There will be books available to purchase at the signing in addition to any pre-ordered copies that you collect on the day.
David will be happy to sign first-name-only dedications, and candid pictures during the signing are welcome.
About The Land and Its People:
In The Land and Its People, David Sedaris investigates what it means to be a traveller, a brother, a lifelong friend. Trying on the role of carer after his boyfriend Hugh’s hip-replacement surgery, he both succeeds and fails. He covers ground with his friend Dawn and challenges her to eat a truck tire. An ambivalent Duolingo bot becomes his unlikely confidante as he attempts to describe his family in a foreign language. Ever adding to his list of ‘Countries I Have Been To,’ he rides a horse named Tequila in Guatemala, buys a bespoke priest’s cassock in Vatican City, and goes on safari in Kenya without taking a single photo.
Time takes its toll: Scrolling through his address book, he counts those he couldn’t bear to outline and realizes how many are already gone. He is bitten by a dog and insulted by a wee train passenger. A woman on the street late at night either sexually harasses him or doesn’t. It’s easy to agree with the lady waving a sign that reads, ‘Enough is Enough.’ And yet, life holds much to delight in: the massive testicles of a ram, a trip abroad with his sisters, a really excellent reptile video, a pair of well-made cotton underpants.
Throughout these essays – at once acerbic and tender, playful and profound – Sedaris shows how much there is to marvel at when you keep your head up and your eyes open, observing with warmth and curiosity our fascinating human species and the lands we inhabit.
Please note: Tickets for our events are non-refundable. Professional photography and videography may take place during this event. Thank you for your understanding.
Participants:
David Sedaris Author
David Sedaris is the author of fifteen previous books, including, most recently, A Carnival of Snackery, The Best of Me, Calypso and Happy-Go-Lucky. He is a regular contributor to the New Yorker and BBC Radio 4. In 2019, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is the recipient of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, the Jonathan Swift Prize for Satire and Humor, and the Terry Southern Prize for Humor. Sedaris lives in Sussex and travels regularly to the US.
The venue
The Portobello Bookshop
46 Portobello High Street
Edinburgh
EH15 1DA
Telephone: 0131 629 6756
Website: www.theportobellobookshop.com
Wheelchair Access
We have a ramp at the front of the shop which has a ratio of 1:10 and loading capacity of 300kg, and so should be able to be used by most wheelchair users or those with mobility vehicles. The front doors are fully automated. Our shop interior is designed to allow access throughout for wheelchair users and prams, though please note there is only 700mm wide clearance to access the staff toilet.
Sound
We use a PA system to enhance the audio at our live events. We also have a hearing loop system installed, if you’d like to use our loop system during an event please let us know and we’ll make sure we have it set up and connected to the live audio feed during the event. If you wish to attend an event and require BSL interpretation, please give us a few weeks notice and we’ll do our best to arrange an interpreter.