Through Water & Ruin: On the Shelves of Chesterfield Library

From 2023 to 2024, Chesterfield Library saw an impressive 293,521 visits. Official reports confirm that it is Derbyshire’s largest and busiest library, conveniently located in the centre of Chesterfield, just off the historic market square. Spread over three floors, it may not match the scale of libraries in larger cities, but it has its own unique charm and a particularly noteworthy local interest section.

 I had long hoped to see my LumiNovel, Through Water & Ruin, on those very shelves. The book is a personal account of the 2023 Chesterfield flooding and its aftermath. I was thrilled when I received the news that Derbyshire libraries had decided to stock the book in a couple of their locations. Initially, Chesterfield Library had just one copy, and on my first attempt to see it, I found it was already on loan. It was a bittersweet feeling. A little disappointing not to see it immediately, but also wonderful to know someone had borrowed it.

I kept checking the online catalogue, only to find it was continually out on loan. Each time it was unavailable, my initial frustration turned into a quiet pride, knowing that people were reading it. Then, to my astonishment, the library decided to stock four copies instead of one. I was overjoyed.

The next time I visited, I finally found a copy on the shelf, wrapped in its library jacket with the usual labels. You know the ones, the category and section location labels.

Sitting there in the library, holding my own book, was a surreal moment. It truly made me feel like a real author. It’s a feeling I first experienced when I saw my books in Waterstones, a story you can read more about on my blog. It even smelt like a library book. I can’t even being to explain what that means but if you know you know!

A special thank you to Cathy, the stock librarian at Derbyshire libraries, whose support helped bring my book to the local community it was written for, and dedicated to. Thanks to her, Through Water & Ruin now has a home in the heart of Chesterfield.

And of course thank you for supporting my book. By reading this post, purchasing a copy or reading it in the library. If you want to hear about my latest book releases please consider subscribing below. Don’t worry you won’t get a load of spam!