I had two absolutely knockout nights at the Quay Arts Centre in Newport, on the Isle of Wight. Friday night was Studio Ghibli night, and on Saturday I talked about the linked histories of anime and manga.
Both nights’ audiences were engaged and engaging. I would guess their collective age easily spanned 70 years, but their hunger to explore and learn and share was so intense, it was like being plugged into a massive power bank for the brain. I had a lot of fun on both nights, and the fact that the island itself is so beautiful and has so many fabulous things to see and do makes it a great place to visit. if you’re as bonkers about dinosaurs as my OH and I are, it’s heaven – it has everything from soft and cuddly plushie dinos to great big bones and serious scholarship.
Quay Arts is a great place to present, with terrific staff. I’m not just saying that so they’ll invite me back, although I’d say yes in a heartbeat – Del, Shannon, Connor and the whole team do a great job of presenting a diverse arts and culture programme on the Island, and made me very welcome. Depending on the season and the weather, you might even be able to get back to Portsmouth by ferry after seeing a show there, but if not there are lots of places to stay.