ARGH!!!! *EDIT* in OD

Seriously, how fucking hard can it be to hand out 48 fucking books for free in the town fucking centre?

Well, if you think the answer is ‘not that hard’ you don’t live in Middlesbrough.

Fucking cultural backwater.

Here’s the thing: you may remember me mentioning the fact that I had submitted and application to be a World Book Night giver. Well, said application was accepted and I’m getting 48 copies One Day by David Nicholls to give away.

After some fun and games with getting the books, I needed to find somewhere to actually distribute them.

Now, despite it being called World Book Night, I can actually give away the books during the day. So, I decided to contact the council to find out if I could give away the books in the town centre. I’m not planning to force anyone to take the book if they don’t want to.

Turns out that in order to do so, because it’s printed material which is not charitable, political or religious, I would have to pay £103 for a permit.

Yeah. All I want to do is give away a few books. And they want to charge me £103.

If I claimed that me religion is Jedi and wanted to give away my ‘holy text’ (the Star Wars:Episode 4:A New Hope script) it would cost me nothing. If I wanted to give away Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book, I could do so as it’s political.

But I want to give away a book with containing nothing more subversive that the idea that it’s possible to climb Arthurs Seat on little sleep and in normal shoes and for that I’m looking at a £103 charge.

I can’t blame the guy from the council. I really can’t. He’s admitted to me that he realises this is to the benefit of the people of Middlesbrough and is trying to find a way out.

You may think that I’m overrreacting, and you’d be entitled to that opinion. I don’t. Sorry, it’s less that 50 books. In the town centre. On a Saturday. How fucking long do they think it’s going to take? Really?

If I start at 10, I’d probably still be in the pub for the 3pm football kick offs. And for that, for bringing a few books to the people of this town, they want to charge me slightly less than my JSA for a fortnight.

There is one possible get out clause, will keep you posted.

Will

*EDIT*

Success!

Not the get out clause I was thinking of. (That was to argue that as World Book Night is a regestered charity and, as the books I’m handing out are special World Book Night editions, they should count as charitible material.)

HOWEVER:

The Facilities and Events manager for Middlesbrough Council is a supporter of World Book Day and a fan of the book I’m giving away. She has agreed to let me give the books away under her concent. For free.

Woot!

Will