I will be at the Edinburgh Book Festival with Emily Mackie, author of the wonderful And This Is True on Saturday August the 21st. The event starts at 4.30 p.m.

Currently trying to write something that is at least a tiny bit as good this.

I will be at Clitheroe Books on June 17th doing a reading from Luke and Jon and trying to answer any questions anyone may ask. It kicks off at 7pm and is free.

I am also involved in a symposium - The Children’s Trilogy: recession, technology and the killer slush pile - at the first Manchester Children’s Book Festival on July 1st at MMU. Best start revising.

Looks familiar doesn’t it? Look closely. At the word between ‘Luke’ and ‘Jon’. It’s an ‘und’!

Due out in Germany on November the 6th. Published by Berlin Verlag.

I’ve written a post for the Faber blog about writing L&J.

Luke and Jon has sold to Italian publisher Rizzoli and Dutch publisher Prometheus. How exciting. That’s France, Germany, Italy and Holland now. Can’t help wondering what I’ve done to upset Spain. Still, it’s quite something to get an email from an editor in another country saying they are looking forward to publishing your book.

There are two new reviews on the reviews page and there is link to a video but I can assure you that clicking said link could result in the most boring 6 minutes and 48 seconds of your life. Even I didn’t watch to the end and I’m in it.

You will need something to wake you up

Luke and Jon is a debut of the month book over at lovereading. Thanks lovereading. And I should have news to report soon about me speaking at some events coming up. But it’s ok. I’m not terrified.

An extract from The Times Literary Supplement review has been added to the reviews page. I still wish I was in The National.

There is a short review today in the Guardian first novels section.

I called in at the Deansgate Waterstone’s this afternoon and couldn’t see the Luke and Jon dumpbin. I was too embarrassed to ask where it was because they might have got rid of it because it generated NO sales whatsoever and was taking up valuable sales space. I was just slinking my way out when I saw Luke and Jon at number 6 in the Deansgate chart!*

*In the age of transparency I should mention that Luke and Jon will only be in the charts because we held the book launch at Deansgate last week and family and friends bought a silly amount of copies. Especially Cynthia.

took this photo at the Manchestser Deansgate Waterstone’s.

I have my very own dumpbin.  

I hope they keep it till the weekend because I want to go in and see it. Anyone who has ever worked in bookselling will understand the huge honour of your own dumpbin.

Thank you Deansgate.

(Of course it may be the case that they are desperate to shift them because I signed them all the other week and now they can’t be returned…)

The latest is The Financial Times review.