i am unusually quiet - you lot should make the most of it

Hello you lot. I am sorry I’m so quiet…I am about to fly off to Vietnam for six months, I am wrapping up things in the day-job (or it is wrapping me up, one of the two) and I’m struggling to comprehend how my worldly possessions can equate to 120 books, 73 pairs of laddered tights and a plastic ring I got free in a packet of Japanese sweets…anyway! There’s also lovely writerly stuff:

Last Thursday I did a session of the Bristol Festival of Literature with Richard Beard, Director of the National Academy of Writing. I was talking process and getting the words on the page and raising your hand to say I have a story too. It was far and away one of my favourite ever events thanks to Richard, the lovely Festival organisers and the incredibly engaged and warm audience. I left incredibly inspired and humbled (and full of stout).  

Tomorrow I’ll only be allowed live on BBC radio. Anyone who’s ever been to one my (highly profane and verbally impulsive (not impulsive in a good way)) readings will know I am likely to say something very daft indeed. I’ll be on BBC Oxford drive time tomorrow between about 5.45 and 6pm. It’s live. I will almost definitely accidentally swear.

And I’ll be doing BBC Oxford because I’m doing events in the lovely city on Tuesday evening. I’ll start with a life writing workshop to Crisis members (who use the Old Fire Station for their classes) and then I’ll be at the frankly magnificent Short Stories Aloud with the hugely talented Tania Hershman at 7.30. Come, do come - you won’t even have to hear me read…they have proper actors…but you will have to listen to my verbally impulsive and possibly profane answers to questions.

Then…I’m off to do this….(maybe not exactly in this period fashion admittedly)