BOOK GIVEAWAY COMPETITION: A DREAM OF VENICE
Lost in a Dream of Venice!
COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED
BOOK GIVEAWAY COMPETITION: A DREAM OF VENICE
Although I am actually the daughter of a very talented artist (a painter, sculptor, carpenter, glass maker, photographer, astronomer – no, my dad is not Leonardo Da Vinci, but could bloody well have been), unfortunately my DNA was not blessed with the same flair and abilities.
But once in a while that little artistic cell which must be hiding somewhere deep inside me, upon viewing something particularly beautiful and creative, gets all excited and passionate. So as the excitement grows, I just can’t stop jumping around and talk about the new amazing thing I just discovered! Some people think I am a bit crazy, others find it amusing and energising: either way it is my way of expressing the pleasure in finding beauty in a world which nowadays is not as beautiful as it used to be!
So invariably, when one of the most amazing photography books on Venice landed on my laps, I just started squealing, jumping around as I simply could not believe my luck!
But let’s start from the beginning!
A few years ago I had the pleasure of becoming friends with JoAnn Locktov, an incredible woman who had a Dream which she decided had to be pursued! She wanted to put on paper her love for Venice, a city which captured her soul the moment she stepped foot in it and which has never let her go ever since!
JoAnn and I have always been rather virtual friends, considering the distance between our two countries of residence, but through the last couple of years we kept nearly a daily contact through Facebook and Twitter. JoAnn is one of those people who, as Marisa Convento from Venetian Dreams says, has managed to keep a delightful balance in her love for Venice and her critical eye for this troubled city. She always tries to bring to the attention of the people, who follow her on various social networks, the different aspects of Venetian life, either good or bad, trying to offer a 360 degrees view of the city of water!
So, when she mentioned she wanted to write and publish a book on Venice, I was not surprised, on the contrary, I got very excited: I was very looking forward to see how she would and could portray Venice in a way which had not been done before.
Time passed and through social media I discovered JoAnn was involved in this project with Charles Christopher, a world famous motion picture and television stills photographer who, I truly believe, is in love with Venice as much as JoAnn is. This got me even more excited, cause I realised the book will surely be a whirlwind of amazing pictures!!
And it is, and much more!
So, last week JoAnn finally made her way back to Italy and she personally put her creation on my lap – well, it was actually over a small table in a lovely cicchetteria in Venice, over some delicious cicchetti and some Prosecco wine, but you get the gist!
As I opened the package and held the velvety skin textured cover I started, as I said before, squealing: first because I was not expecting it and I adore to receive books from those who actually wrote them! Secondly because the book is truly BELLISSIMO!
REVIEW
The book is simply exquisite: Charles’s photos have captured the true essence of my beloved city! There are millions of photos of Venice in books and circulating on the net, but generally they are all about the monuments and famous sites, rarely they portray the everyday life of the city and its people! As you browse slowly through the pages (don’t you dare to rush through this book, savour it, like you would with an expensive glass of Amarone wine), you are captivated and transported into another world. A Venice of shadows and lighting, of real people and surreal objects, of water reflections and strange skies. An enchanting Dream of Venice!
And with each picture, a quote, long or short, from a famous or not so famous person. Quotes that I know JoAnn has personally gathered, travelling worldwide and meeting all sorts of people! Simple words, expressing all that Venice is for those people who live it or simply visit it.
Marcella Hazan: The rhythms of Venice, its spaces, its structures mirror human life to a degree unmatched by any other major historical city……
Julie Christie: The unexpected mistery of Venice…misleading reflections, startling shadows…..
And all of them have one thing in common: their love for Venice. A love which transpires through each page, through each word and through each image. The same love which JoAnn and Charles hold for it.
This book is a true homage to Venice, its people and the beauty which permeates every single Venetian stone, alley, statues and cranny.
And it is also doing its part in saving Venice! For each book sold, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Save Venice Inc, an American non profit organisation dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice.
And considering that Christmas is fast approaching, this is really the perfect gift for any Venice lover and Venetophile: a gift to last and to bring back the love for Venice any time they will turn a page!
COMPETITION
And now for our competition: how can you win a beautiful copy of Dream Of Venice by Charles Christopher and JoAnn Locktov?
Simple: read below!
Terms and conditions:
First just follow these easy steps!
1- Click here and like Dream Of Venice Facebook Page (if you do not already do so)
2- Click here and follow me on Twitter (if you do not already do so)
3- Click here and follow Dream of Venice (if you do not already do so)
4- re-tweet this post by adding the hash-tag #dreamofvenicecontest (please make sure to add this tag!)
Once you have executed the previous steps, just place a comment below to let me know you are entering the competition, that you have followed all of the above steps and giving your name and email address. The winner will be contacted via the email name displayed on our website.
The competition is open to everyone, worldwide. Prizes can only be sent to a valid address unless otherwise stated, all postage and packaging included.
Entry to the competition is restricted to one entry per person please. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Automated entries, bulk entries or third party entries will be disqualified!
The winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries, among all the people who have correctly completed all the indicated steps and left a comment (we will use this site http://www.randomresult.com/).
The Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to.
The competition. is open from today Sunday 30th November 2014 until Sunday 7th December 2014, 9am Italian time.
www.monicacesarato.com is compliant with the data protection act. Our policy is such that we will not pass on your details to any third party without your prior consent.
SO, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? ENTER THE COMPETITION NOW!
DONE! 🙂
I’m in! Now plz may I have the book! 😀
ooops – forgot my email: brunazanelli@aol.com <3
comment number 1 – good luck
did you tweet and put the hashtag too? if so, then you have comment number 2 – good luck
I have entered now , twitter and facebook ,, I have not been to Venice but lots of different areas of Italy ,, my email is annearnott1@virginmedia.com
thanks for entering, yours is comment number 3
ciao bella, yours is comment number 2
ciao Jo, yours is comment number 1
I am entering the competition and have followed all of the above steps. I am Brenda Marks at BLuuciee@aol.com. Grazie mille!
are you following me on twitter? cannot see you details
Yes. I have been following you and Dream of Venice for quite some time!
thank you so much!!! ok, your comment is number 4
Thank YOU for bringing me a little bit of Venice each day! It is my favorite city and I go there as often as I am able. Missing it terribly at the moment….
give us a shout next time you come over!
Will do. Hopefully early ’15!
I have entered the competition and have completed all of the steps. My email is: chrisp7@sbcglobal.net.
Thanks for the opportunity to enter! I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about this book from a Facebook friend.
Christine Price
All done and fingers tightly crossed – I would love a copy if this book
rdurran@bigpond.net.au
Robyn Durran
I have completed the above steps and am entering the Dream of Venice competition. I would love to read the book and place it on the shelf next to my well-worn copy of Jan Morris’s “The World of Venice.” I hope to bring my son to Venice in January for his first visit. The trip is his graduation present. He was graduated with honors with a double major in theater and writing.
CERTO, I am entering! I always dream of Venice and maybe I’ll get lucky again? Dreams come true! Abbracci!!! Victoria
PostcardsfromVictoria@gmail.com
Salve, Monica. . .I’ve completed the steps to enter the competition. In fact, I believe this may have been my first Tweet ever! Spero che sia la vincitrice! Il mio email: lmweinberger@gmail.com. Grazie tante!
What a wonderful book and a wonderful idea for a competition, Monica!
Hope to see you again in 2015!
All above steps followed if not now, a long time ago!
my email is gisnmark@yahoo.co.uk
I have completed all the steps to enter this wonderful competition. Grazie mille 🙂 marynemarich@gmail.com
Monica I have completed all the requests you asked of us. Since my trip to Venice, to me it is like heaven on earth. I would be so jubulient to win this wonderful book. I am bee@pushing-papers.com and I pray to hear from you!! WINNER!!
Affari fatto! voglio vincere il libro! 🙂
thank you for entering and good luck – yours is comment number 5
It is a beautiful book and good luck – yours is comment number 6
Well, egt in touch, maybe you will want to take a tour? 😉 thanks for entering the competition and good luck – yours is comment number 7
If you win again I am going offer you a drink next time you are here! – yours is comment number 8
Thanks for taking part into this competition and good luck – yours is comment number 9
Giselle, good luck but I hope to see you back here soon with or without winning! – yours is comment number 10
Good luckand thanks for taking part! – yours is comment number 11
Well, let’s hope to see you back here with the book in your hands! – good luck yours is comment number 12
To add to your beautiful collection? Good Luck Melissa, see you back here soon!- yours is comment number 13 (shall I jump this number for scaramanzia?)
I’ve completed all the steps-The quote from Marcella Hazan is my truth too. 🙂 I would love to win this beautiful book.
i’ve completed all the steps!
this is a good competition with great giveaway :))
My favourite too!- good luck, yours is comment number 14
Thanks, I love this book!- good luck, yours is comment number 15
I have done all the steps 🙂 hope i can win one copy.
Entered 🙂
What can I say) good luck, yours is comment number 16
Hope you followed all the steps! good luck, yours is comment number 17
I did, indeed! Thank you – what a great contest! 🙂
Done! Fingers crossed that I win a copy of this gorgeous book! Venice is my heart too!
🙂 I know it is!!! Good luck, yours is comment number 18
Done!Entered!I have done all the steps.Venice is my love forever!
Yes, I know how you feel! Good luck, yours is comment number 19
I do have a question for you: would you be able to do a gluten-free tour?
No, I am sorry, but cicchetti are defenetely not gluten free!
All done thanks for allowing me the opportunity to win such a wonderful book ..Tanti Auguri !
Ciao! Steps are complete, what a great contest you’re offering! Grazie!
I followed all of the steps, a great contest for a beautiful book!
Well done, Good luck, yours is comment number 20
You are welcome! Good luck, yours is comment number 21
Well done, Good luck, yours is comment number 22
Thank you all for taking part!
THE WINNER IS: NUMBER 18 Raleigh Hussung –
Raleigh I will be sending you an email – please reply with your full postal address so we can send you this lovely book! xxxxx so happy for you!