It was a joy to be interviewed about The Unexpected by Mary Morris, Artistic Director of the Arvon Foundation, for an Afternoon Author event series at The Booker, a lovely indie bookshop in Crediton, Devon.

I was delighted to read and discuss The Unexpected with a wonderful group of creative women who are leaders in the arts and cultural sphere in the South West, and members of the Circe Network, at a festive event at Exeter Central Library.

For this experimental book launch event to celebrate the publication of The Unexpected, I was delighted to collaborate with my Perrier Award-winning comedian and songwriter friend, Will Adamsdale. We experimented with a book-comedy-music mashup event, pairing short readings from the new novel with comedy songs, linked by the seemingly random themes of fish, trees, the sieve (as a metaphor for domestic intimacy and struggle) and Joni Mitchell, and involving duos, jazz flute, and guitar. Hosted by Exeter’s fabulous indie bookshop, Bookbag, and vegan cafe Sacred Grounds, in the McCoy’s Arcade, Exeter. Overseen by some very attentive mannequins in the next door vintage shop.

It was a joy to launch The Unexpected at what used to be my local bookshop when I lived in London, the beautiful Ink@84, surrounded by old friends.

I was honoured to be invited to give a lecture on the subject of Live Literature to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Gothenburg Litteraturhus, based on my book published in 2021. It was wonderful to meet the Directors of the Litteraturhus and of literary festivals, salons and events, and the new Reading Laureate for Sweden, to discuss ideas about literary events and culture, and to learn about how my book has been applied in practical ways by literary producers in the country.

I will be in conversation with novelist Daisy Hildyard about her magnificent novel, Emergency (Fitzcarraldo, 2022) which has just won the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Award, as part of the Festival of Creativity at the Exploding Bakery, Exeter.