
Finally, I was at the top of the queue. Wilbur shook my hand, I told him I‘d read all his books and thanked him for so many happy hours of reading. ‘We’ve obviously connected’ he replied as he signed my book with a big fountain pen. Connected was a bit of an understatement, I’ve crossed whole swathes of Africa inspired by the characters in his books, but how can you convey this in a few minutes? I’d bought my camera and people standing around who I assumed were minders from the publisher, were happy to take a picture. A young Asian woman who had been sitting next to Wilbur, jumped out of her seat so I could sit down. I later realized that this must have been his wife – Mokhiniso. The guy taking the picture messed up the first shot so took it again. ‘If this was a Lion, you’d have had by now’ quipped Wilbur. Then another firm handshake and I was on my way.
I’ve seen a picture of Wilbur Smith in a bookshop, as a young man, promoting his first book ‘When the Lion feeds’ which must have been around 1965. So here he is all these years later, he knows that getting out there to promote a book is all part of the job, and he’s a hard worker. In an age where even people with no talent can be celebrities, it’s gratifying to see over an hundred people were prepared to stand and wait to meet an author. Booklovers are still out there.
As Wilbur Smith is now in his seventies, you have to wonder how many more books we will see. I had never imagined I would meet him, so to have done so today is something I will look back on with satisfaction for a long time. And now to start the book...