LIFE'S LITTLE LUXURIES
life's little luxuries is a cute little book--about the size of the
Life's Little Instruction Book series. 
Small and compact, a great
little coffee table book (or a stocking filler), it contains the "little
luxuries" of the likes of Prime Minister Tony Blair, HRH Princess
Margaret, the "Ab Fab" Joanna Lumley, Judi Dench (Mrs. Brown and M),
rocker Billy Idol and Musketeer Michael York . . . among others.
Entrepreneur and balloonist Richard Branson's "little luxury" is a game of tennis with his neighbour. Honor Blackman, a former Bond girl, loves to be wrapped in a soft warm towel after a bath. Spy writer John le Carre enjoys baked beans with Worcester sauce and tabasco on white bread with OODLES of butter. Former PM Margaret Thatcher enjoys reading--Rudyard Kipling's poems or Charles Dickens. Glamour model Jerry Hall loves angel perfume.
"LLL" (as it's affectionately known) comprises 120 little luxuries of the famous and infamous. They're all different. There are some themes involving baths, free days and . . . avocados! But they all share the same criteria. They're all "inexpensive, accessible to everyone and, in some way, life enhancing." And they all reveal a little something about the contributor.
The idea for "LLL" popped into my head two years ago. A combination of divine inspiration and persistent brain racking on my journey to and from work each day. A few months later work began. Around 700 letters were sent all over the UK (and to various corners of the globe), keeping the Post Office busy and asking actors, actresses, celebrities and politicians to give some consideration to the question "What is YOUR little luxury?" Letters soon started coming back. Slowly at first, growing to a deluge around Christmas of three or four each day. Replies also came in the form of phone calls (very thrilling) and the occasional chance meeting.
From the outset my idea was always that a worthwhile cause should benefit from EVERY SINGLE PENNY of the cover price of the book. That cause was Whizz-kidz which provides wheelchairs for non-mobile children. Several contributors commented that it was a pleasure to be able to help.
The picture in my head of the finished book was very clear. This "vision" helped hugely through each phase of the production. A lot of synchronicity came into play. In fact, the whole of the book production was something of a learning curve in terms of making goals and achieving them and showed me just what was possible with a considerable amount of determination and a "never give up" attitude.
All the "little luxuries" were illustrated by a great design company in Knightsbridge called Relay. Their team was incredible. The illustrations are cute and quirky and fit the style of the book. Printers, designers and couriers donated their services and sponsored the production. This was important in achieving my aim of donating ALL the money from the sales to Whizz-kidz. "LLL" was sold, courtesy of that nice Mr. Branson, in the Virgin Megastores across the UK. One assumption was that Virgin had a warehouse. Lesson: never assume! They don't have warehousing facilities. Parcelforce stepped in at the eleventh hour and distributed all the books to 77 outlets over the UK.
So many people were instrumental in bringing "LLL" to press. My company, Cap Gemini, sponsored the print and design. My pal, Ian, helped me throughout the whole process. Various organizations and individuals gave their time and expertise. Plus all the contributors, some of whom came to the London and Manchester launches to bring in the press and public. The London launch at the Groucho was one of the best days of my life. I'd better confess at this (rather late stage!) that I am somewhat star struck. To meet some of these people who had contributed and who I admired was just out of this world. I made a little speech and mingled and had an absolute ball.
Now all the high life is over there's still the best bit to come. The money's been rolling in as people have been snapping up "life's little luxuries" and soon the first children will be presented with their wheelchairs, funded from the LLL money. It's very moving seeing a child receive their wheelchair and whizz around in it. Usually the hankies are out in force.
Putting together LLL was something of a dream come true. Not only was it my first book in print, but one that was such a lot of fun and very thrilling to compile.
And just in case you're wondering my "little luxury" is "books, books, books."
Copyright © Nicola Warwick, 2009.
All Rights Reserved.
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Little Luxuries
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