My fears were almost instantly swept away by the lovely venue, its buzzing and mixed crowd of publishing type-people (just like it said on the ‘BookMachine tin’) and a series of fantastically friendly  guides.

I did not get to speak to everyone (there were simply too many of us) but moved seamlessly from one group to another, discussing French literature, enriched e-books, the Apple marvel, the lack of realism of the French publishing industry, world cinema and gangsters (yes, you read this right, the subject did come up twice during the evening).

This was a truly enjoyable night thanks to the incredible warmth and variety of the people I met. To all the BookMachine virgins out there: go on, make the jump, you won’t regret it and see you at the next event!