Next stop Uxbridge.

Tomorrow night I'll be doing another reading, this time for a writers' group who meet at Uxbridge library. The group is led by Siobhan Curham.

First time I've spoken to a group exclusively made up of writers, though I know there were some writers present at both the Hornsey Library and Northampton gigs.

I'm very grateful to Siobhan for inviting me along. She says the group have some good writers, some of who are working on their first novels. So I imagine they will be keen to know more about Macmillan New Writing.

They may also be interested in this website. It's another way for new writers possibly to get their work in front of editors. Work is peer-reviewed - the top submissions each month are then read by an editor at Picador and a top agent.

Hmmm. Doubtless it will have its critics, and maybe it isn't a perfect system, but given that people tell me it is harder and harder to get agents to even look at work, this may be an interesting route. One to watch, anyhow.

Another customer.


We went on a sort of sponsored-ish walk at the weekend, though we didn't really walk very far and we failed to get any sponsors. I know, I know, we're rubbish, especially as it's in aid of the Luke's school's playground appeal. I think the simplest thing will be if we just make a donation.

On the way round, one of the mothers, who for some reason was going in the opposite direction to everyone else, called out to me, 'Oh, I've bought your book. I haven't read it yet, but I will do!'

So thanks to her, and thanks also to Julia who left a comment below to the effect that she was intending to buy a copy. Good grief, if this trend continues, I might make it into double figures!