Onwards!

I have pinched the title of this blog post from my colleague Rodge Glass who frequently signs off emails with 'onwards!' It always makes me smile and it also makes me feel strangely optimistic and cheery (I say strangely because I am not the most optimistic or cheery person in the universe).

One of the best things about knowing other writers is that you occasionally get to read their books before they are available in book shops. I was lucky enough to be given a copy of Rodge's new book Love Sex Travel Musick several weeks ago and I'm very much enjoying it. There's a particularly beautiful story called 'Do All Things With Love' and there's a line from the brilliantly titled 'The Monogamy Optician' that's been dancing around in my head for days: 'Seems to me the world is full of women who don't like their men very much, and men who don't know how to cope with that.'

I believe Love Sex Travel Musick is going to be available in WH Smith, just in time for the summer holidays - short stories make excellent holiday reading and these are excellent stories.

In other news, I've had a kind review from Our Book Reviews and Sweet Home has been longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize. It's an incredible longlist this year and it's lovely to squeeze on to it alongside some of the UK's best short story writers. I've also had an individual short story longlisted for something quite exciting which I may write more about in the not too distant future - fingers crossed.

I'm slowly redrafting my novel (I'm finding it hard to resist the impulse to completely rewrite it). I'm really lucky to be going on an Arvon course in June, courtesy of Edge Hill and I hope that a week away and some fresh eyes will give me the impetus to finally wrap it up.

I'm very excited to be participating in my first academic conference next week. I'll be reading at the University of Roehampton's Practice, Process and Paradox: Creativity and the Academy on 11th April.

Onwards!