Talking Location With … author Tom Benjamin: BOLOGNA and environs
GIVEAWAY – 3 copies of Mr Wilder and Me by Jonathan Coe
15th August 2021
We are delighted to offer 3 copies of Mr Wilder and Me by Jonathan Coe, novel set in London / Los Angeles / Greece / Munich/ Paris. Looking back to 1977.
In the heady summer of 1977, a naïve young woman called Calista sets out from Athens to venture into the wider world. On a Greek island that has been turned into a film set, she finds herself working for the famed Hollywood director Billy Wilder, about whom she knows almost nothing. But the time she spends in this glamorous, unfamiliar new life will change her for good.
While Calista is thrilled with her new adventure, Wilder himself is living with the realisation that his star may be on the wane. Rebuffed by Hollywood, he has financed his new film with German money, and when Calista follows him to Munich for the shooting of further scenes, she finds herself joining him on a journey of memory into the dark heart of his family history.
In a novel that is at once a tender coming-of-age story and an intimate portrait of one of cinema’s most intriguing figures, Jonathan Coe turns his gaze on the nature of time and fame, of family and the treacherous lure of nostalgia. When the world is catapulting towards change, do you hold on for dear life or decide it’s time to let go?
“It is such a whimsical read, a pleasure to pick up… it is written with a charm and child-like wonder, portraying the industry that was (as we now clearly know) not all it seemed. It demands that the reader suspend modern day cynicism (do try!), which of course is hard when our reality today is coloured by the antics of venal and mendacious leaders who are the polar opposite of the tenet of this novel” (TripFiction)
HOW TO ENTER:
You must be a member of TripFiction. You can join by going to www.tripfiction.com and scrolling down to the JOIN NOW tab. We do check!
Then, tell us in the COMMENTS BELOW which of the locations featured in this book you would like to visit! Do this by midnight, 28th August and the first 3 names chosen at random will be sent a copy of the book by the publisher. UK ONLY
Join Team TripFiction on Social Media:
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The winners are:
Martha
Christine Constable
Ellie Wood
Can I say all of them! If I had to pick one it would be Los Angeles because I’ve never been there before.
I would love to go to Greece. I went once years ago and it was so beautiful so would love to go back!
I’d love to visit Greece, a country that has intrigued me with its history since viewing the Elgin Marbles as a student teacher more than 50 years ago
Greece
I would love to visit Greece!
Greece, every time. Even better if I could go back to unspoilt 1977 Greece
Greece
I love Greece and spent many holidays there but have never visited Kefalonia and that’s on my Greek wishlist
I’d love to visit Munich. Looks fascinating
Munich – i love Germany
For sure Greece-adore the country and islands with the warm welcome of the people. An Athens guided walking tour would be a dream!
Munich
I’d like to visit Munich
I’d love to visit Los Angeles and hit the beach!
For me it would have to be Munich. I’ve never been but I’ve heard it’s a really vibrant city.
I would like to visit Munich because I visited some 50 years ago with my parents and it would be great to go back again.
I’d love to visit Athens
I would most like to visit Athens
I’d love to visit Athens
I would love to visit Greece. The relaxed healthy lifestyle would be a nice treat.
We would like to visit Los Angeles, Athens and Munich. That will be wonderful and memorable. Thank you!
Greece is location featured in this book that I would like to visit.
I have not bean there before.
I have not travelled much to be honest.
Thankyou very much for the opportunity to read your book
Good luck everyone
Definitely greece
Would love to visit Athens
I’d love to spend time on a Greek island
I’d like to visit Greece and charge up with some sunshine before it is too late!
would love to visit Munich
Never been to Munich, so I would love to go there 🙂
Athens!
Would love to go to Greece at the moment and have some freshly squeezed juice!
Love to visit GREECE, gotta be better weather then summer here right now!
Great prize! ❤️
I’d love to visit Greece one day!
Munich. A vibrant and modern city with bier kellars and the BMW museum!
Mr Wilder and Me:
I should love to visit Athens again. I have fond memories of Greece .
Has to be the Greek island!
I’d love to visit Athens to explore the origins of theatre
Munich would be lovely with my family by my side
I would love to go to Munich, especially during Oktoberfest.
I would love to visit Munich.
Munich would be incredible
I would love to go to Greece
Take me to a Greek Island please!
Los Angeles is on my bucket list but I would also love to go to Greece.
Greece
I would love to visit Greece.
Munich is one of the cities on my wish-to-visit list so that’s where I would want to go. One of my daughters did a German exchange visit there and loved it, and she and I tend to love the same places.
Los Angeles would be fun although would love to return to Paris
Hello, I would like to go to Athens, I’m sure it is beautiful. I would like to Baklava there!
Would be Greece, sitting alongside the Mediterranean with a glass of wine, my book and enjoying a dish of olives. Many thanks
Germany. Would love to visit with my husband. We’ve both been to various parts of Germany, me before we met, my husband with work, but we’ve never been together. We have particular places in mind such as Berlin and Frankfurt
In these difficult times of travel, it would be fabulous to escape to Greece and the other locations within the pages of this book. Greece would be my favourite though.
Los Angeles. My parents loved their time in California but I’ve never been there myself.
I’m really missing Greece – I’ve visited many of the Greek islands over the years and can’t wait to get back there. The people, the history, the food… Having said that, I’ve never been to Munich and would love to go! To be fair, after the last year and a half, anywhere further afield than Consett, Co. Durham would be an adventure!
Right now I would love to visit Greece, as I am desperate to be in a warm sea somewhere! 3 years since I have been able to swim in the sea and I am missing it!
I love Paris but have never been to Munich so that would be great
I would love to visit Paris as I haven’t been there for years!
I would like to visit Paris – my best friend who I met on our first day at Primary School – lives there and, because of Covid, we haven’t been able to have our annual meet for over 2 years!
I would love to visit Munich again. I was there as a student and we had planned to go last year. I want to walk in the Englischer Garten again, speak German to people and hear the Bavarian accent and visit the art galleries.
As the only one I haven’t been to is Munich then I’d visit there
Munich because it would probably be the only place with a temperature that I could cope with!