Because if I dinnae write this quickly this blog will die
Sorry! I’m really sorry. I haven’t been near this in months and while I would like to claim that it was due to some sort of Really Good Excuse the truth is I’ve just been busy working and living. These are good things that sometimes need to be done.
Anyway, I have an hour and I’m going to empty my wee brain and the last few months into this little white box Tumblr has helpfully provided. Are you ready? Alright then.
February…oh. February you beautiful beast, you made my heart sing and knackered me like good ‘un.
A week of February was spent in the gorgeous wilds of Lumb Bank teaching an Arvon course to some of the most inspiring young people I’ve ever met. 15 teens from Grantham who wrote some of the most powerful prose I have encountered. I was co-tutoring with Adam Marek (one of my new favourite people in the world: official). There was uncontrollable giggling, welling-up at the incredible, brave writing, giant bowls of banana custard and bacon and eggs for breakfast. It was sincerely one of the best things I have done in my adult life and I hope to see everyone again soon. Here’s Adam and me with the brilliant teachers on the last day…
Then I came back and began my five week set of City Lights: Turn Up To the Page workshops at the Feminist Library. The first time I’d ever set out on my own to teach a set of classes but I was so fucking lucky…I had ten of the loveliest, coolest people to lead through the workshops (covering everything from narrative to dialogue to character). They were game for anything, learned fast and I’m thrilled to say they’re still meeting up now with several embarking on new projects. I’m still beaming from the feedback a month after the final session.
I also got to hang with Julia Bell (editor of the Writer’s Coursebook - which was the first book I ever did any writing from!) when I took part in In Yer Ear. It’s a grand night and I really recommend heading down if you can. You will never again see me accidentally refer to Janie’s family as ‘pish wifes’ (jeysus!) but there’s lots of fun still to be had.
March…saw me do two events at Essex Book Festival (one solo and one as part of the Three Literary Supremes alng with Francesca Main and Jo Unwil (also fucking both lovely (I don’t know what to tell you…everyone I’ve met recently has been lovely)). I wrote a chapter on the importance of detail for the forthcoming Art of the Novel being publishing by Salt and gave a lecture (in a proper lecture theatre and everything) to the Creative Writing undergrads at DeMontford University - the lecture contained more swears than one might imagine are possible in a forty minute lecture.
March also allowed me to help release my friend Jonathan Kemp’s new novel Ghosting out into the world by chairing a chatter with him at the New Bloomsbury Set for Gay’s the Word. The picture below is deceptively sedate - we can talk like a pair of fishwives, me and Jon, when we get started.
Otherwise…otherwise…I moved to Clapton which immediately stole my wee fickle heart thanks to: the marshes, Palm 2, amazing cafes and lovely locals (what? Everyone is lovely!). I’ve been learning about Buddhism and meditating, taking dance classes and swimming long sunny lengths at London Lido. WoMentoring turned one with 115 mentors and twelve months of solid, enjoyable work and a pledged to make it ongoing. I’m proud of what we’ve done and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I also bought a camera to start taking pictures. This is how I see London in my head…but better framed and exposed (I’m still learning innit).
Oh and lovely, lovely, fucking lovely VAL MCDERMID (whose books I grew up reading!) only chose Tony Hogan as her pick in the Metro. That was fucking amazing.
Next…well tomorrow (today (Thursday) if I don’t get my arse in gear to post this tonight) I’m appearing with Zoe Strachan, Allan Radcliffe and Jackie Kay on a panel for the Scottish LGBT Anthology All Out at Aye Write. Next it’s a trip up to the Highlands for Ullapool Book Festival - I’m on Saturday and will otherwise be found wandering, eating oatcakes, drinking whiskey and taking photos. After that I head to Paris for two weeks of meeting French readers of Tony Hogan in Nantes, Brest and Angers (cake eating, flea market shopping, taking pictures). There’s heaps more to come…but maybe that’s all I’ll say for now, save something for two months time, eh? Also who read this far anyhow?
Oh, and I’m redrafting Book 3. I opened the first draft a month ago after a long time away from it, read a scene, and cried (in a good way)…I think this is a good sign of things to come.
So that’s me: I’m very happy right now and hope you all are too (all three of you who got this far (hope the rest of the fuckers who gave up halfay are happish too though)).
Night, night x
