An Interview with Erin in the UK | Reading Around the Globe

1. What is your name? Erin Hamilton
2. Blog URL? My Shelves are Full
3. Twitter handle? @erinlynhamilton
4. Where do you live? Suffolk, UK
5. Do you find that there is a culture of reading where you live? If not, tell us a bit how you came to be one! There is a burgeoning culture in Ipswich.  We are continuously working towards reading for pleasure attitudes and behaviours in schools.  In the town we have a dedicated group called Ipswich Children’s Book Group, which is part of the National Federation of Children’s Book Groups.  As a group we run local events featuring local and popular authors, illustrators and all book related events.
6. What kinds of books do you enjoy reading? I love picture books, MG books and Non Fiction books.
7. Have you always been a reader? I have always been a reader…
8. Do you also read books published in your native language/published locally to you? If so, tell us a bit about what kinds of books are published in your country! I am originally from Canada and love reading books by Canadian authors and about local tribes of Native Canadians.  There is a lot of legend and myths built into their culture and it is fascinating.
9. Are there libraries where you live? If so, what kinds of books can you find there? Are you able to get the books that you want? You can find any type of book and if they don’t have it then they will order it in for you.  A brilliant service! Suffolk Libraries are incredible successful and they are run by book loving people.  I always visit my local library with my kids and we ensure that the schools I work with make links with their local libraries for visits, events, etc.
10. How prevalent are English published books where you live in bookstores? (For example, books printed by HarperCollins.) You can find books by most publishers in Waterstones and WHSmith.
11. Do you use NetGalley or Edelweiss to request electronic galleys for review? If so, what kind of success rate would you estimate for you personally? I love netgalley and use it frequently.  I have read and reviewed nearly 70 books online.  I find it is a great way to get a hold of a book, especially if they have a limited print run.
12. Do you experience hurdles or barriers to access for the kinds of books that you read? Please explain if so. I don’t find any barriers at the moment.
13. If you could make one change to the publishing landscape, what would you do? I think it needs more publicity for children’s fiction.  I find MG and YA titles brilliantly written and full of exciting storylines but this is not getting enough publicity.
14. Help other international bloggers out… What resources do you use to obtain the books that you want to read? I started requesting from some publishers and made an effort to get to know the marketing and publicity teams and to make sure I did what I said I would.  I only request books that I want to read to ensure that I give them the attention they deserve. I ensure I keep tabs of my reading and my stats on twitter and my blog so they are up to date at all times.
15. Do you have any other experiences as a reader around the world that you would like to share? I love reading and want to get books into the hands of readers!

Please note that all experiences reflected in the interviews are personal and are not meant to generalize what reading access is like in each country. If you are interested in participating please DM me on Twitter.