Don Powell biography

Publishing date

2019-09-18T17:11:00.003+02:00

Finally, we have a publishing date. The paperback version of the biography will be published on October 3rd. You can preorder it from Amazon.co.uk here .

Proofs

2019-06-30T13:37:00.003+02:00

Thursday I received the proofs for the paperback from Omnibus Press and today I was able to send them my corrections. It's getting closer!

Deadline met

2019-06-03T17:59:00.001+02:00

Don and I have met a couple of times to sort the last things out, put more stories in the chapter and look through new photos. The photo above is of one of the things that we talked about.😎

I handed everything in to Omnibus Press on May 31, so now we just have to wait...

Second interview

2019-04-30T10:52:00.002+02:00

Don visited my again last week where we did the second and final interview for the new chapter. I am currently typing up the interview and adding it to the chapter. Hopefully, I'll be able to send the chapter to the proof readers later this week.

Typing...

2019-04-04T22:31:00.000+02:00

Today I finished listening to the tape recordings of my interview with Don and typing it up in a rough draft. Happy birthday to Dave Hill, by the way!

First interview

2019-03-26T23:05:00.000+01:00

I had a visit from Don yesterday and I did the first interview with him for the new chapter that we're making for the paperback version of "Look Wot I Dun". Now I'll write up what I got and then we'll probably meet again in early April.

Preparations for an interview

2019-03-21T19:41:00.001+01:00

Don and I are going to meet next week for me to interview him about the past five years. I'm currently hunting down my old dictaphone on which I've made all interviews with Don and everybody else for the biography and when I've found it, I'm going to think of questions to ask Don.

Finished reading

2019-03-15T19:38:00.000+01:00

By now I have finished reading Don's diaries as he only keeps a tour diary nowadays, not a day-to-day diary like before. I've had a look at his website too, but I think I have to get the rest of the material from Don himself.

A visit from Don Powell

2019-02-17T19:35:00.000+01:00

Don visited me today, bringing his diaries with him. There was only four, though, 2013 and 2016-2018. 2014 and 2015 are missing so I have to find other sources to fill the gaps in these years.

It was nice seeing Don again, as we hadn't seen each other since the Danish book signings in November 2013 after which I fell ill and had to undergo surgery three times in three years. We had a bit of a laught, though, when first we saw each other, Don with his walking frame due to his knee surgery and me with my cruthes do to mine! What are the odds?

Paperback

2019-02-14T19:28:00.000+01:00

After close to five years of silence, I'm back as Omnibus Press wants to make a paperback version of Don's biography and I am to write a new chapter for it.

E-books

2014-04-11T20:29:00.000+02:00

Don’t forget that the biography is available as an e-book on Amazon.co.uk:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Look-Wot-Dun-Powell-Slade-ebook/dp/B00FSV7JI2

I just got the sales figures the other day and where the hardcover version has sold 5,000+ copies, the e-book version has only sold 100, so please spread the word. Thank you.

UK book signings

2014-04-05T12:18:00.001+02:00

I’m sorry that I didn’t get to tell you about the book signings in the UK last month, but to tell you the truth, neither Don nor the publishers told me about them. It seems that it is not enough to write a best seller to be invited to the signings of it! I’m sorry and I hope you’ll be able to locate future dates and places for book signings yourself.

Record Collector

2014-02-28T15:57:00.000+01:00

There's been a review of the biography in Record Collector as well:

(and I'm still not a journalist...)

Classic Rock review

2014-02-24T16:28:00.002+01:00

The biography got great reviews in Classic Rock:

P. S. I'm not a journalist!!!

New mention in Birmingham Mail

2014-01-30T20:57:00.000+01:00

The biography got a new mention in Birmingham Mail: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/slade-fail-find-new-noddy-6647514

The One Show

2014-01-18T15:59:00.002+01:00

Apparently the biography got plugged on BBC1's "The One Show" last Thursday and I didn't know! BBC1 did an interview with Don about his amnesia and my book got a plug at the end of the show. It's the first Omnibus Press title to have ever been covered on The One Show, which has over 5 million viewers, and I'm really happy about it. Hopefully it'll help too in getting the publishers and press recognise me for the hard work I've done, writing the book.

If you live in the UK, here's a link to the interview: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03pqbb2/The_One_Show_16_01_2014/ Unfortunately the BBC iPlayer doesn't work outside of the UK.

Express and Star

2014-01-04T16:21:00.003+01:00

Here's the Express and Star article from yesterday that mentions the biograpy: http://nativemonster.com/music/slade-golden-oldies-celebrate-50-years

Birmingham Mail

2014-01-03T10:33:00.001+01:00

There was an article about Don and Dave - and the biography! - in Birmingham Mail yesterday: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/gallery-slade-pair-celebrate-50-6458579

Sunday Times

2013-12-08T16:38:00.003+01:00

Last week I gave an interview to Sunday Times about "Look Wot I Dun" and today you can read the outcome in the paper.

Book signing in Stereo Studio, Silkeborg, Denmark

2013-11-10T10:47:00.001+01:00

Saturday the 9th of October Don and I did a book signing in Don's Danish "hometown" Silkeborg. It was the record store Stereo Studio that had invited us and when we arrived a quarter to one on that Saturday noon, the shop was already crowded with people who wanted to buy the book and have it signed by Don and me.

Some of the people had ordered their books in advance and that was a good thing, because within 20 minutes every single book in the shop was gone. As there weren't enough books, some people bought Slade CDs instead and had Don sign them. Others had brought their own old LPs and had them signed.

At the signing we met our old friend Jonas, the drummer of Danish band The Guv'nors with whom Don has worked in 2007. It was great seeing him again. We also met 4 guys from my hometown Odense who had travelled all the way to Silkeborg to have their books sign - because they hadn't been aware of the book signing in Odense on October 22! When Don had to leave for a birthday party straight after the book signing, these 4 guys invited me on a drink in a nearby pub, so that I wouldn't have to stand alone at the station for an hour, waiting for my train to arrive. Thanks guys! I hope to see them again in February 8th, 2014, where Slade will be playing in Naestved in Denmark - their first Danish gig in ages!

UK "Look Wot I Dun" Waterstones book signings (Don Powell only)

2013-10-27T11:52:00.001+01:00

There will be 6 book signings in the UK to tie in with Slade's Xmas tour, but only Don will be present at the signings as I can't afford to go and the publishing company doesn't pay for a book signing tour. Anyway, you can buy a copy of the book and have it signed by Don (only) at these Waterstones book stores:

Wednesday November 6th at 1pm
Waterstones, The Tontines Centre, Parliament Row, Hanley
Stoke-on-Trent ST1 1PW

Monday November 11th at 1pm
Waterstones, 15-19 Buttermarket
Ipswich IP1 1BQ

Tuesday November 26th at 12.30pm
Waterstones, 24-26 Orchard Square
Sheffield S1 2FB

Thursday November 28th at 6pm
Waterstones, Emerson Chambers, Blackett Street
Newcastle NE1 7JF

Monday December 2nd at 5pm
Waterstones, 174-176 Argyle Street
Glasgow G2 8BT

Thursday December 5th at 12.30
Waterstones, 28-29 High Ousegate
York YO1 8RX

Hopefully more bookstores will be added throughout December.

Look Wot I Dun for Kindle

2013-10-25T16:54:00.005+02:00

The book is now available as an ebook for Kindle at Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FSV7JI2

Thank you Chris Selby and Gary Jordan for telling me, as we haven't been told by Omnibus Press.

"Look Wot I Dun" promotion in Odense, Denmark

2013-10-23T13:32:00.000+02:00

After a slow start in the Moby Disc Records shop in Odense yesterday afternoon where only a handful of people came to buy the book and have it signed, things improved in the evening where Odense Music Library hosted a talk/Q&A with Don and me. So many people turned up that the Music Library had to put up more chairs!

The event at the Music Library lasted for 1½ hours with me introducing myself and the book in Danish before Don joined in and we talked about his life for about 40 minutes. After a short intermission where people were able to buy beer and soft drinks, the audience asked Don questions and had their books and other stuff signed by Don and me. By the end of the day, most of the books from Moby Disc Records had been snapped up after all.

Don and I had a lovely day and it was fun saying hi to so many of you. A big thank you to all of you who turned up!

The first Danish promotion

2013-10-11T18:25:00.001+02:00

My local paper, Fyens Stiftstidende, wrote a bit about the talk/Q&A that Don and I are going to do here in Odense, Denmark, on October 22:

Dansk/English update:

2013-10-10T12:19:00.006+02:00

"Look Wot I Dun" promotion i Danmark 2013

Her er programmet for det danske reklamefremstød i 2013:

22. oktober: Don og jeg signerer bøger i Moby Disc Records, Nørregade 39, 5000 Odense C. kl. 15-16.

22. oktober: Du kan møde Don og mig på Odense Musikbibliotek, Østre Stationsvej 39, 5000 Odense C. kl. 19, hvor vi vil snakke om bogen, vores samarbejde og Dons liv. Foredraget varer ca. 1 time incl. en kort pause, hvor man kan købe øl og vand. Herefter bliver der åbnet for spørgsmål fra salen. Arrangementet er gratis.

9. november: Don og jeg signerer bøger i Stereo Studio, Søndergade 2C, 8600 Silkeborg kl. 13-14.

Der bliver ikke yderligere promotion i Danmark i år, da Don er på juleturné med Slade, men der kommer efter alt at dømme flere bogsigneringer og foredrag i januar 2014.

"Look Wot I Dun" promotion in Denmark 2013

The schedule for the Danish promotion this year looks like this:

October 22: Don and I will be signing books in Moby Disc Records, Norregade 39, 5000 Odense C., between 3 and 4 p.m.

October 22: Don and I will do a talk/Q&A at Odense Music Library, Ostre Stationsvej 33, 5000 Odense C, at 7 p.m. The event last about 1½ hours and we'll talk about the biography and Don's life. After a short intermission where you'll be able to buy soft drinks and beer, you can ask us questions. There is no admission fee.

November 9: Don and I will be signing books in Stereo Studio, Sondergade 2C, 8600 Silkeborg, between 1 and 2 p.m.

We can't do any more promotion in Denmark this year, as Don is on Christmas tour with Slade, but more book signings and/or talks will be added in January 2014.