Tuesday 5 October 2010

Sshh! I'm Trying To Listen

When I was a boy you weren't supposed to talk in libraries. Stern librarians glared at you if you so much as sneezed loudly. I have to admit, I preferred it like that. I like to look at books in peace and quiet. But, the world moved on; librarians got more relaxed and sociable; libraries became places to have coffee in, places to bustle in. The world was growing inexorably noisier

At least that was what I thought until the other day when a friend told me that there's a growing movement of people who whisper books to each other. Look on youtube, she told me.You can hear one of your own books being whispered.

So I did. And she was right! There's a whole dedicated whispering channel where afficiandos conduct sotto voce discourse. It's really rather weird. But I kind of like it and I am happy to say that a whispered extract from The Hollow People has received over three thousand hits to date.

Check it out here . But be prepared to listen very carefully!

3 comments:

Elin said...

That's made all the hairs on my neck stand on end. Is it meant to be that creepy?

Elin
x

Brian Keaney said...

I don't know what it's meant to be, to tell you the truth. People are strange.

Gary Baker said...

Fascinating .. I agree, kinda creepy .. Here's an idea for a group - film people who can't read silently without moving their lips - call the group, Read my lips / Lip readers anonymous / Lip service ... perhaps not. (Who at the back said, "Essex girls' literary revue?!")