I’ve been keeping my head down for a while, trying to get some writing done.  I’m beginning to realise that in order to write it’s necessary to unplug all appliances, soundproof the walls, board up the windows, that kind of thing.  I’ve been reading scraps of Walden and becoming increasingly envious of Thoreau’s little hideout in the woods.

Meanwhile, exciting news has arrived.  I’ve been longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2010, which is an immense honour as the longlist is full of brilliant books.  And as if that weren’t enough to keep me in smiles for ages, an audiobook of The Girl with Glass Feet has just been released by Isis Publishing.