We said pub dates didn’t matter. And we also said that launches don’t matter either. Our thinking has always been that you discover a great book in your own time. But alas, we were proved wrong last night, hosting our first ever launch party in an abandoned sex and cake shop (in that order) in the heart of Soho to celebrate Kapow!.

A few months back Adam planted the seed, we remember him saying and us talking about how at a time when there are so few launch parties, we should definitely do one. And with us having first met Adam over a few too many martinis, and Kapow!’s narrator meandering round gritty London streets, we thought if we’re gonna celebrate Kapow! let’s do it the gritty-street-martinis-only-Kapow!-way.

And it was great.

Okay, so the best bits? Wondering if anyone would actually turn up, then suddenly watching people come together and just having a good time. Running out of booze and running out to get some more. The brothel Madam next door throwing water (on The White Review boys no less) because our party crowd was keeping customers from seeing her ladies. Opportunistic tourists and generally random people (junkies included) trying to wander in for the free drinks. And the spilling out of Kapow! crowds, first on the pavement and then finally onto the road. Turning our dive bar into our very own street party. The weather helped too. A warm sunny and slightly smelly Soho Wednesday evening.

Summer in the city and Kapow! celebrations: we’re so so happy we were proved wrong.

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And a very important P.S. A big thank you to Andrew Corrigan for the gorgeous photography. And to Ben Harvey and his stripy crew for all those beautiful martinis.