It seems like Raw Shark Texts ate up the last year of my life – although in the best possible way.

I did a paperback tour in the US after the book won the Borders Original Voices Award (Thanks Borders!). It was great to be over in the States again and the events in Cleveland, Long Beach and Atlanta were especially great so cheers to everyone involved in those (you know who you are).

I also spent a little time in Korea for the Korean International Young Writer’s Festival which was, frankly, just out of this world. I think Seoul might be my new favourite city and the Hongdae district (around Hongik University) is probably my favorite place in the world now. You know when you go somewhere and it just fits, like everything makes more sense there? I am still coming to grips with the realisation that I was born on the wrong side of the planet. Which is a bit strange. Anyway – I met some great folks there, both Korean (wait until you get a load of Penguin Kim, so few writers make the transition from Korean to English but I really think he needs to be one of them. I’m doing what I can to support a translation – if you can help, please shout!) and from the rest of the world too. I’m well aware how stupidly lucky I am that a book about a conceptual shark has made all this happen for me.

And speaking of which – Raw Shark film news…. There isn’t any. Not yet at least.
Latest info is that the scriptwriter delivered a very solid first draft that has been sent back for changes and polishes, at which point I get to read it. I’m really excited to see what Simon Beaufoy and the Blue Print Pictures people come up with, when I know more I’ll make sure you do too. Congrats to Blue Print on In Bruges by the way – not bad going for their first film!

What am I up to at the moment? Well, after a year and a half of Raw Shark stuff (which still hasn’t stopped – two more foreign language editions are out soon so I’ve been back in interview land!) I’m finally back at my desk in a structured way and getting Book Two moving with some kind of momentum.

For anyone who’s been following these things – Book Two is going under the working title/codename ‘Hula Hoop’. Hula Hoop has usurped ‘Power Ball’ (working titles are fun right? Everybody likes working titles) , which will now be my third book. I can’t tell you too much about Hula Hoop yet, as much as I’d like to, except that it’s pretty out there, I’m having a great time with it, and it’s making my brain hurt. Watch this space (or even better, watch www.rawsharktexts.com/unspace if you’re not reading this there. That’s where the action is going to be…).


Oh, I’ve also registered on goodreads.com (if you’re not reading this there!) so do come over and be my friend and let me know what I need to read next.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who voted for my agent Simon Trewin as a result of the last blog. I’m very happy to say he made the list!


More soon (I promise!)