Blog Readers’ Giveaway & Review Competition

Our enterprising Archivist has been chosen to be a World Book Night Giver (see here for details) and would like to give readers of this blog a no-strings-attached chance to participate. 25 copies of Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time have been reserved on a first-come first-served basis for anyone who emails their postal address to [email protected]. Your details will not be used for any purpose other than putting a copy of the book in the post, entirely free of charge.

The Archivist writes:

“Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is at once funny, accessible for readers aged 9 to 99, and profound. It is a sensitively-written account of the world as seen from the perspective of someone living with Asperger’s Syndrome. It charts both the social dislocation and the unique possibilities that this perspective opens up, not in the dry way a textbook might, but by a fast-paced narrative that engages and sustains the imagination.”

If you’re among the first 25 to email your postal address to [email protected], you can expect to receive a copy of the book in the second week of March. The closing date for entries is Monday 28 February 2011.

Mental health issues have often been sensitively explored in literature, and we'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on any book (including, if you wish, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) you think has provided thoughtful insight. The best short review we receive (up to 3 paragraphs), as judged by Archives & Museum staff, will be published on this blog on World Book Night, 5 March 2011. There is no obligation on World Book Night recipients to take part. Equally you don’t have to have been a recipient of a book to join in; anyone with whom any book chimes can send us a review. Please send your reviews to [email protected], by 28 February.