I'd like to publicly apologise to the teenager doing her Duke of Edinburgh award who I stumbled on trying to have a furtive crap in the forest this morning. I'm sorry my dog knocked you over and then stole you poo. Let's both just try and forget it.

The test of being human is not the capacity to love, but the capacity to love/cherish and simultaneously consign huge swathes of living beings to a category where you can blithely stand by while they are murdered without blinking an eye.

I love this cover so much. I'm so looking forward to reading this!

Well worth a minute or two of your time.

*FREE* online workshop! Join me next Tuesday at 7pm UK time, when I'll be hosting a one-hour creative writing workshop focusing on great beginnings. You can sign up via the lovely bookish heroes over at Bert’s Books Everyone is welcome, the more the merrier!

While a friend visited yesterday, my smart speaker beeped. To show off, I asked it what the notification was and it asked me if I wanted to buy more large-sized dog nappies. So, so cool.

Writing: never entirely pleasant and no end to it, fortunately. Hanif Kureishi, The Black Album

Finally I made a list! Spotify has chosen #BlissAndBlunder as a 'Best Fiction audiobook' and 'Best Indie audiobook' of 2024 alongside ... ahem... George Orwell, Marian Keyes, Percival Everett, Elif Shafak and Colm Toibin.

The Government is considering allowing AI companies to freely use your works, unless you opt-out. This is unfair and unworkable. Now is your chance to tell them what you think! Submit a response to their AI consultation using the guidance below. alcs.co.uk/news/your-righ…

Looking forward to this, although Christine Granville aka Krystyna Skarbek is definitely as interesting and maybe as important. The fact Hall only had one foot makes her story even more incredible.

Reminder that our Greene Door Project is open until 21st March! We’re thrilled to have met and signed several authors through Greene Door, such as Fiona Keating, whose debut novel SMOKE AND SILK will be published in March 2025! Details to apply below: greeneheaton.co.uk/the-greene-door

I'm hugely excited to be guest tutoring at Arvon this December alongside brilliant novelists Suzannah Dunn and Stephen May. This five-day residential workshop will take place at Shropshire's The Hurst and it sells out, so...! arvon.org/writing-course…

Happy #StGeorgesDay to all who celebrate.

Happy 3rd Birthday to the beacon of light that is Bert’s Books ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

We ride again! A road trip in March led to the discovery of the BEST venue for our October Writing Retreats. I cannot wait - all the details over at The Reader Berlin website. Link below #WritingCommunity #writinglife

Thanks to David Kendall and HMP Erlestoke for inviting me to hold a Life Writing workshop as part of #pennedup - I got to take in some of my favourite authors to share and hear some great stories. Thanks to all those who took part.

Thank you for this thoughtful review of Bliss And Blunder Clothes in Books - I love the choice of Ralph Lauren for the accompanying images

Ach! Thanks to Eileen Furze for this kind and insightful review of my novel #BlissAndBlunder. It's wonderful to know that 2 years post-publication it's out still out there and making friends 💚

Fancy a long-hot summer literary thriller? Then the very wise Clothes in Books recommends my first novel Before the Ruins 😉 You can read their beautiful review and see the gorgeous clothes they've picked out to evoke my novel here.

I love to invent a literary genre, and today we have Reservoir Noir, and also the long-hot-summer literary thriller. Do Brits secretly hate the summer? Read along...clothesinbooks.blogspot.com/2025/07/reserv…