Sydney Book Blogger Meet up

I mentioned a couple of times over the last couple of weeks that I was off to Sydney for a couple of days last weekend. I actually flew up on Thursday morning even though the convention I was going to (Australian Romance Readers Convention) didn't start until Friday night. The main reason for going up early ... to attend the inaugural Sydney Book Blogger Meet Up! I had an awesome time so I was really glad that I made the effort to go up early!

I know there are a few people who are waiting to hear about the meet up so I will share a little bit!

We met up in the Arthouse Hotel. Not being from Sydney I had no idea that it was such a large venue and really quite busy for a Thursday night, so I was a bit worried when I got there. I had met a couple of people who were going to be attending before, but couldn't find them so I hovered around the door looking for people who looked like they might be looking for other people.

After a few minutes I thought I should probably try and give some clue that I was waiting for people, so I sat right near the door waving my book around (Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson in case you were wondering) hoping that might catch the attention of the right people, and it wasn't long before that strategy started to work!

All up, I think we had around about 18 people attend, which I have to say was an awesome turnout for the first time. I was also really happy that we had a good mix of Twitter peeps, blogging peeps, some publishing peeps, and several of those were new to me too which is awesome! The best thing though is meeting people who you have interacted with online and putting faces to names, and talking books with other people who you know share your passion!

Here is the list of people who attended (I haven't got the list of everyone who attended, but as soon as I get it, I will add anyone that I missed!)

Becky from Page Turners
Kat from BookThingo/@bookthingo
Decadence from BookThingo/@my_lheage
Nyssa @awritingjourney
Vassiliki from Shallowreader @VaVeros
Maria
Jacq from Book Bites/@obsidiantears
Beth @bethflatley
Gabby from Mills and Boon @MillsandBookAUS
Lina from Shallowreader @infogenium
Ali and Rosie @fangbooks
Sarah @hesitent_sarah
Wade @staticsan
Karin and Ashlea from Murdoch Books @murdochbooks and @pier9books respectively
Wandergurl @tsinelas

If I have forgotten anyone, I apologise sincerely! Let me know and I will add you to the list.

Here's some pics. You can see more here. Thanks to Kat for sharing her pics. I thought I had left my camera in the hotel room so didn't get any myself.

Vassiliki makes a point to Decadence, Ali, Wandergurl and Rosie

Kat, Karin, Ashlea and Becky

Lena, Vassiliki, Nyssa, Jacq, Maria

Maria, Beth, Marg (looking a little sunburnt I must say!), Wade

For the Melbourne folks, I am intending to organise a meet up here early in May, but I just need to come up with a venue. One thing we learnt from the Arthouse was that a popular bar is too noisy! I started losing my voice on Thursday night and I am only just getting it back now!

Finally special thanks to Kat and Jacq who did most of the organising! I hope this is the first of many Sydney book blogger meetups.