"It was both exhilarating and a little horrifying to discover that quite a few people had not only read my book, but also thought about it. The questioning was really useful”
“It was all a bit of a roll; much more fun than 95% of architecture events - in England, anyway - when most people seem so buttoned up”
“It didn't quite come to fisticuffs, but it easily could have done. Not bad for a discussion about history!”
“A Bookshop Barnie at Foyles is a great event. Austin Williams makes sure he gets a real debate going, with good questions, fast answers and lots of straight talking. I enjoyed it a lot.”
“One of the best things I’ve done, thanks to you and the audience. Real morale-booster!.”
“Many thanks for this, and for arranging the event, which I learned a lot from and was very glad to be at... Great stuff”
“If you're only interested in promoting your book then there are other places. But if you're interested in defending it, starting a conversation about the ideas in it and engaging with an interested audience then this is the place for you. Combative, convivial and constructive: at the Bookshop Barnies people don't necessarily turn up to hear you talk, but to respond to what you have to say.”
“The book trade is under siege from TV. A place that ought to be the last refuge of coherent thought and serious debate has been invaded by celebrity and meretricious rubbish. On one small front, here's some laudable resistance: a space where authors and readers can discuss books properly and readers can rediscover the proper purpose of bookshops - not the marketing of ghost-written memoirs, but the propagation of ideas and the discovery of truth.”
“I had thought that after more than a year speaking about the themes in my book, there was nothing new to say, no fresh insight to be gained through interviews or discussions. About twenty minutes in, the Bookshop Barnie disabused me of that notion. Mr Williams knows how to get at the polemical core of a text, and he knows, too, how to carry the audience there with him..”
“I hadn't heard about the Bookshop Barnies previously but it's a great idea and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's particularly gratifying to know that discussions continued in the pub until closing time!”
“It was a lively event... the Bookshop Barnies generally provide a pretty level playing field for authors. It was fun, it was productive.”
“A big panel of primadonnas and huge audience. I was impressed.”
“You were, as planned, as predicted, as thoroughly deserved, and as universally acknowledged, the total star of the night.”
“It was a great night.”
“Thanks a lot - I really enjoyed the evening... An intelligent, engaging and provocative evening, the Barnie delivers book-sales and crackling, critical debate.”
“I absolutely loved last night.”
“Thanks a lot for having me in this unique event!... Bookshop Barnies is a great format and intellectually stimulating. I had great fun and enjoyed the the very engaged audience and the feisty interlocution of Austin Williams.”
“Thank you for I inviting me; I loved it. Great atmosphere and people and questions: you chair deftly and well.”
“I did really enjoy it... an uncommonly stimulating book event (as your Barnies manifesto promises) which was pitched and sustained at a very high level. No dumbing down in sight here, thank all the gods. So, thank you. I do hope we can do other events with you.”
“What fun it was last night - thanks so much for including me in the debate... I felt like I learned a lot.”
“I really did enjoy the Barnie... very combative.”
“I really enjoyed it... Great stuff... the whole mix made for an entertaining event”
“Thank you and everyone who came last night for a great event. I really enjoyed it.”
“Thank you for a splendidly stimulating evening. More than any of the events I have been to on this, this one really teased out the issues and moved furniture around in people's brains - including mine... I have just ordered Enemies of Progress.”
“What craic. Thank you for a top evening.”
“I enjoyed the Barnie. I've been thinking about some of the comments and questions from the audience ever since: it was far more challenging and stimulating than a normal bookshop event.”
“It was a great pleasure, and I thank you for organizing it.”
“Really enjoyed last night thank you - and bought the book. Must be your wit that drew money from my purse! And a great venue to hold it.”
“Thanks for inviting me to last night's Barnie. I enjoyed it - stimulating and witty. Indeed it rekindled my interest in politics... I'd be delighted to come to other Barnies in future.”
“Great night. Another triumph.”
“A particular highlight of November 2008... a lively exchange of ideas.”
“An excellent event.”
“It was interesting... Look forward to coming along to some more.”
“Many thanks. I enjoyed the event and the opportunity to put my arguments to a group of the engaged and the critical.”
“The talk was great - and you are a fabulous interlocutor and host… I'll be looking out for more Bookshop Barnies”
“Thanks for inviting me... I thought the audience was splendid!”
“I really enjoyed it.. would love to come to the next.”
“Thank you very much indeed for organising so many good discussions: in these post-modern times of nihilism, consumerism and individualism, your Barnies and intellectual debates are oases of hope in the desert of disenchantment.”
“It was lovely... and however rough the evening was, it was jolly good training. Thanks so much for asking me.”
“It was a very enjoyable experience - and you are indeed a master of ceremonies and the art of the interview. Thanks for inviting me and hope to see you at future Barnies.”
“Thank you, we all really enjoyed it.”
“It was an excellent evening – which would not, of course, been possible without your perceptive questioning and relaxed, but engaging style. ”
“Thank you very much for the invite, I really enjoyed the debate.”
“I enjoyed it very much indeed. Certainly challenged ze leetl grey cells... Very informed debate followed the talk..”
“I greatly enjoyed it, thanks.”
“Many thanks for a fascinating evening.“
“Many thanks for a splendid evening. It really was very enjoyable.“
“Really interesting.“
“Just wanted to say what an informative Barnie that was - appropriately challenging the challenge to the orthodoxy, and maximally testing the author's power of speaking on their feet. It's always satisfying to find so many of my own questions successfully put by others.“
“I enjoyed it very much. Will have to try and make more of them.“
“We enjoyed the Barnie - stimulating as usual.“
“Your balloon debate was brill.“
“Interesting stuff - a very thought-provoking debate.“
“I found it very interesting – very much the kind of thing we should be doing more of in the shop.”
“Congrats to you on the series.“
“Thank you for the enjoyable and interesting evening last week.“
“Thanks for setting up the Barnie last night. Much appreciated, and engagingly spiky!”
“Thank you for organising such a terrific Barnie... It was great fun, and really engaging. It sounds very simple, but one of the most interesting elements for me was being part of such an eclectic mix of people from a variety of sectors.”
“I very much enjoyed the ‘Bookshop Barnie’… I thought the format was just right. There were the right number of people there – enough to ensure a lively discussion, but not too many to destroy the friendliness and intimacy of the occasion. That was very much assisted by the pre- and post-discussion socialising.”
“Many thanks for a very enjoyable evening. I appreciate your having invited me.”
“I really enjoyed last night's Barnie.”
“I enjoyed the evening – always lovely to hear clever people discussing books – and also thought you were an excellent MC.”
“I thought the efforts at a debate were brave, worthwhile and worked reasonably. Thanks for the contact, I'd certainly come again“
“Just a quick email to say how much I enjoyed this week's Bookshop Barnie. A really excellent discussion, well done. I am ruing the fact that I have not been able to attend previous ones.“
“I really had a good evening.”
“It was great. Makes me want to write a book just so's I can be Barnied. The whole artful exchange rocked. He's very impressive. And so are you, a master at intelligent conversation.”
“It was great fun... indeed I thought the format, the venue and the delegate list was great. Let me know when you are doing another because even if not invited to speak I would like to come and listen…. Barnie’s are great“
“Hugely enjoyable.”
“I thought the free fire quality of the debate was very good. There were some interesting people there from a healthy range of positions... Twas a great evening! Many thanks. V good fun. Thank Heavens you're out there doing this stuff.”
“Thought provoking in the true sense of the word last night. Well done.”
“I greatly enjoyed last night's Barnie… Do keep me on your mailing list for future events.”
“Thank you very much for an informative and entertaining 'Bookshop Barnie'. I enjoyed the event and thought the subject and the discussions it led to were provoking and interesting.“
“Most enjoyable… Will hope for future invitations.”
“I really enjoyed it.“
“I enjoyed hearing the other panellists who were all on top form.“
“Last night was great! I enjoyed the format, the interaction with new people, the warm welcome, the stimulation… and the wine.”
“I really enjoyed it… I look forward with keen anticipation to the next author.”
“I enjoyed it… very good and pertinent.”
“I did very much enjoy the Barnie focusing on risk – thank you very much for inviting me.“
“Thanks for a very fun and informative night out. I particularly liked the style and format, which yielded better results than the usually tepid love-ins that accompany book readings.”
“I hope we might be able to work together on something similar for one of our other authors.”
“I thought the Bookshop Barnie was great - a really interesting topic and very thought-provoking responses from the guests. Thanks for inviting me. I'd love to come again.“
“I kept finding my agreement with (the author's) general thesis unravelling the more that (the author) explained particular examples.“
“It was a stimulating event that should continue if you can convince your sponsors.”
“Let me know if there are any events that we can co-ordinate in the future.”
“Good as ever”
“I enjoyed it and look forward to hearing about future Barnies”
“Enjoyed the Barnie, although I did feel there were more interesting questions from the floor than answers...”
“The Barnie was fun. Many thanks for inviting me.”
“I really enjoyed the evening”
“I enjoyed it.”
“Thanks again for inviting me... I must say I was greatly impressed. A real 'Joss Stone Glasto 2004' moment.”
“It was very entertaining… More please.”
“I'm glad I finally made it.”
“Thanks... that was interesting last evening... Glad I could come along.”
“I think the Barnies are a great format. Good speakers and the right audience.”
“It was bracing to witness people asking tough questions of an author. I certainly thought it was a really good talking point and as … a lot of the issues raised are important to me and it was terrific to hear them argued about in such a well-informed and pretty rigorous way.”
“A fantastic event… a new take on book launches…. intellectually stimulating, enjoyable and I got to meet a lot of very interesting people.”
“I thought the discussion was more interesting than the book… In any event, it was fun and I hope I added something of value to the proceedings.”
“I enjoyed it. A good mix of lively intellectual banter and socialising.”
“It lived up to my expectations and then some, you have certainly given me some terrific ideas on how to create a ‘debate and discussion’ atmosphere.”
“First time I'd been to a 'barnie' and really enjoyed it. Thanks for the invitation.”
“I found the event and the company stimulating, I think I was the only one awake on the train home, so much to think about, I enjoyed it, well done and thanks for the invite.”
“I loved it.”
“I really enjoyed the Barnie... I have bought the book.”
“I enjoyed it - I think the format is better than the usual long speech and token few questions approach. The two philosophers sitting next to me both thought it was excellent and enjoyed it, so I don't think it is just my own bias.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion, bought the book and will not doubt discuss it with my students in the future.”
“The format for the event seemed to work well and I thought your chairing was commendably unsycophantic.”
“I had a very nice night, old bean. Thank you. The next one’s in my diary.”
“I think that the format of the evening is very good - congenial and time for proper discussion.”
“It was an absolute pleasure, a really well organised event”
‘Of course I enjoyed the Barnie!’
‘I really enjoyed my first Bookshop Barnie experience and I was quite amazed at as to how much discussion the topic lent itself to.’
“Thanks for inviting me - I enjoyed it too.”
“Well done! The discussions still stay with me today, as the whole audience was animated by the proceedings. Thank you so much for a great evening, and I look forward to attending the next one.”
“I really enjoyed last night's discussion. Well done for having convened it in such appropriate surroundings and for chairing it so well. The audience participated enthusiastically in what became a lively, informed discussion between themselves, you as the chair and the speaker.”
“We should think of acting as a host to some future event.”
“Attending the Barnie was great. To enjoy such rigorous lively debate is still a rare treat and to do so in an open setting like a bookshop is even better. (The bookshop and publishers) should really be delighted that the book aroused such interest.”
“Thanks for a thought-provoking evening.”
“Thanks for inviting us. Its good to see a bit of cut and thrust... Please keep me updated about new events, if you will, and I’d love to try to get back to another one.”
“It was most interesting and enjoyable.”
“Thanks very much. I thought it was very interesting... I would be very pleased to be kept on the mailing list.”
“This was an excellent evening... Ninety minutes flew by.“
“An enjoyable discussion - good quality turn-out.”
“It was very enjoyable/interesting and I will try to be a Barnies regular.“
“I thought it was great, and would have liked to have stayed on to chat afterwards but … I’d be very interested in forthcoming events.”
“The beauty of a Barnie is that you never quite know what to expect other than a guaranteed grilling of the author from the ever-provocative chair, and a compelling discussion from assorted experts and commentators in the audience. The book, though far from incidental, is often little more than the starting point for debate, disagreement and engagement with some of the most important issues of the day.“
“I was pleased to be there and would certainly attend such an event again if asked... it all ended too quickly”
“these Bookshop Barnies are a great idea - sign me up for the entire series“
“(the Barnie) was fascinating and I was v.glum when I got back for having left without really hanging around and talking more about the whole thing. I've made a mental note never to run off immediately from one of (the) barnies in future.”
‘I found (the Barnie) simulating and enjoyable. Lots of interesting people. The informality worked well... An excellent and most enjoyable event.’
“It was great fun“
“We enjoyed it. Your opening 'salvo' was helpful… knockabout.”
“I enjoyed it very much… My one regret is that I did not get to ask my question. In future I will wave my (hand) with more determination”
”It was refreshing to attend a debate where it wasn’t just about people just trying to make a point over and over again rather than tackling the real issues… not this one, that’s for sure!!”
“Good do last night & well handled.”
“As I went home I thought of lots of ways of taking him up ... but during the presentation could just react with an inner 'grrrr'.”
“Great“
“I was about to write and thank you. It was fun, and the format was v good... Many thanks for a stimulating evening”
“Thanks again for inviting me, and for organising, such an interesting evening. I'm sure I'll see you at another one in the future.”
“We really enjoyed it.”
“I think the BB format is excellent, and I really enjoyed the issue. I would like to come along to others, and have a friend who was also intrigued so we could maybe fix an invite for him.”
“Great format.”
“I liked the fact that it was a varied audience - the range of questions was interesting and provoking.”
“I thought that the combination of Mayer Hillman's assertive environmentalism
and your rigorous questioning worked well, and it was great that the audience
had an opportunity to chip in and pose questions. I look forward to attending
any similar events that you've got coming up, especially if there's scope
for a decent debate.”
“That was very good fun… I enjoyed it thoroughly…please keep me posted.”
“I very much enjoyed it… you certainly got quite a good argument going… I thought it went well.”
“Thanks for arranging last night. It's great to see debates beyond the skin of buildings in the architecture circuit. Well done for organising. We had a good rant at dinner about the author's vision that attempted such divine heights.”
“Lively discussions with interesting people, and contributions from lots of different angles. My perception of the debate was that it was critical, yet not tense. In a nutshell: it was fun and stimulating being there.”
“Thanks for a terrific night last night, a great crowd. I look forward to further invitations in the future.”
“It made me think about what was my world.”
“I found the debate extremely interesting... I'd love to be kept in touch with your programme”
“I enjoyed myself.”
“An excellent evening – I really enjoyed it. What a great host you are. Good range of people.”
“Thanks for asking us along to a fun and interesting evening. Met some great people.”
“It was an interesting meeting... I look forward to hearing of more Barnies.”
“Yes we did enjoy it very much even if we found ourselves not completely agreeing... I like the idea of the meeting and felt you handled it very well... we would like very much to be back for other talks.”
“I did indeed enjoy it, and would certainly appreciate being kept informed of other events. It was interesting to have an audience with such diverse backgrounds.”
“We had a top time... So all possible future Barnies will be attended.”
“Very much enjoyed last night. Floor discussion was terrific.”
“I love the Bookshop Barnie idea and thought you chaired the whole thing with such good humour and the audience was a great mix.”
“I very much enjoyed the event – as proven by the fact that I took two hours longer than intended to leave the post-Barnie discussion.”
“An excellent 'do' I thought.”
“An enjoyable event.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
“It worked well.”
“It was good fun last night. Please do keep me posted on forthcoming events.”
“I thought it was a hoot - thanks for asking me. Book me in for the next one.”
“Thank you for another splendid evening... Next year’s programme looks terrific.”
“I really enjoyed it. Rapport, intellect AND wine!”
“A very stimulating start to the evening… I greatly enjoyed it.”
“From last night I can truly say that the Bookshop Barnie is an event like no other which is a credit… I wish you great success with future events.”
“Thank you for the event. It was certainly very interesting and useful for me. I am sorry, I couldn't stay longer.”
“I really enjoyed it. Well done! Overall, it's a good environment to get to the heart of a book - friendliness with intellectual rigour.”
“I really enjoyed the debate. Would love to come along to future ones.”
“I enjoyed it all very much indeed. It was an excellent and well informed audience--deftly steered.”
Even those who couldn’t make it seem keen:
“I was on hols, and missed the Barnie. It sounded good... I would have loved to join in that. If you have another relevant to me, I'd love to come.”
Return to Bookshop Barnies page
