One of the outcomes of Amanda Quinn’s six months as Jesmond Library’s Writer in Residence was an anthology of writing, some about Jesmond Library itself, some about other libraries, and some about books.
Copies of the anthologies, called “Welcome to the Library”, are now available in Jesmond Library, price £5. If you would like a copy posted to you, email enquiries@jesmondlibrary.org with your contact details, and ask for details of how to pay £7.20 (which includes postage and packing).
Everyone will have their own favourite piece in the anthology, but anyone who knows Jesmond Library’s striking modern design will enjoy Ron Clarke’s memories of when, as a child, he saw the library being built: “The Spaceship has Landed”.
“The grey streets and old houses of Jesmond had suddenly been invaded by people from a faraway land. I was desperate to go inside. What would I find? Martians or magic?
Later on in the piece we find the answer:
“Shelves of books that seemed to stretch into the distance and maybe reach other planets. It was a new world. One that I wanted to be a part of.”