Why 5 November? This date has been chosen as it was officially the day that Russell Hoban completed the novel in 1979. It's also Guy Fawkes Night (aka Bonfire Night), on which British people commemorate the failure of the Gunpowder Plot to destroy Parliament in 1605. In Riddley Walker the characters' quest for the "clevverness" leads to the rediscovery of gunpowder, with explosive results for some of them. (Don't try this at home.)
Why "extraordinary"? Every SA4QE is of course extraordinary but it usually takes place on 4 February each year in celebration of Russell Hoban's birthday. A break with this tradition doesn't seem too outrageous given the recognised position of Riddley Walker both in Hoban's oeuvre and in late 20th-century literature.
What do I have to do? Basically just pick a favourite quote from the book, write it on a piece of paper and leave it somewhere for others to find. Full guidelines for taking part in this or any SA4QE, and sharing your selections with this site, can be found on the Contribute page.
Also of interest: Russell Hoban is being interviewed before an audience in London on 22 November about Riddley Walker as part of the Guardian Book Club series. At the time of writing tickets are still available. The novel is also the Guardian's Book Club book for November, so keep an eye on their website and/or buy the Guardian on Saturdays throughout the month.
Further information
Riddley Walker outline on The Head of Orpheus
Riddley Walker Annotations website
Riddley Walker on Wikipedia
Buy Riddley Walker from Amazon
All posts labelled "Riddley Walker" on the SA4QE site (includes quotes chosen by participants as well as other articles of interest)
On 4 February 2012 the Slickman A4 Quotation Event celebrated 
In 2005 the first international convention for Russell Hoban fans took place in London, and was marked by the publication of a fantastic 48-page booklet featuring exclusive contributions from innumerable fans and associates including novelist David Mitchell and actress Glenda Jackson. A wonderful memento of the event, it's also a beautiful collector's item and must-have for any Hoban fan. Although in limited supply, copies of the booklet are still available at £6.00 each plus p&p. Order direct from 
Russell Hoban turned 86 on 4 February 2011 and fans celebrated in traditional style by leaving quotes from his books in public places. Browse their quotes 
To celebrate 30 years in print of Russell Hoban's most famous novel 
Posts
Below is a link to my blog, Fred's Place, where I've posted a few quotations from _Riddley Walker_.
ReplyDeletehttp://freds-ramblings.blogspot.com/