Showing posts with label January. Show all posts
Showing posts with label January. Show all posts

Thursday, 25 January 2018

VIRGINIA WOOLF, HAPPY BIRTHDAY


Today's Google doodle is in honour of VW's birthday

People always moan about January but, being my birth-month, it's a month I like (despite dire post-Christmas broke-ness). I turned 48 this month, so was happy to find, on the Monk's House Insta today, an extract from Virginia Woolf's diary from 25th January 1930, the day she turned 48.

‘I am 48: we have been at Rodmell—a wet, windy day again; but on my birthday we walked among the downs, like the folded wings of grey birds and saw first one fox, very long with his brush stretched; then a second; which had been barking, for the sun was hot over us; it leapt lightly over a fence and entered the furze—a very rare sight. How many foxes are there in England? At night I read Lord Chaplin’s life. I cannot yet write naturally in my new room, because the table is not the right height, and I must stoop to warm my hands. Everything must be absolutely what I am used to.’

It has been wet and windy in Galway today, with little spots of sun, and apparently it's been the same at Monk's House too. I spent one of the happiest days of 2016 there. Blogpost about that here. (And for those who have asked, no I am not writing a novel about VW, I just love her!)


A VW silhouette I bought at Monk's House

Monday, 16 January 2017

FLASH, INTERVIEWS, NEW SHORT FICTION COLLECTION


I love the renewal of January. It's my birth month so, unlike other people, I like the month; it makes me cheerful. And I've plenty to be cheerful about in my life, including the bookish side of it. So three bits of literary news:

My fifth short story collection, Joyride to Jupiter, will be published by New Island Books in June. Woot! Their sweet Tweet from yesterday:


Also, I have two brand new flash and an interview at US lit mag Connotation Press, thanks to new fiction editor Jonathan Cardew. Go here.

And, finally, I was interviewed by Laura Turner at Pageturnersnook here.

Enjoy your January, my dears x