News

Another year...full of potential and possibilities. And here in my corner of Suffolk, after a wild and windy night, punctuated by particularly robust fireworks, the day has been calm and bright with occasional blue skies and birds singing.

So how do we feel on this, the first day of 2023?

The newspapers this weekend have been full of articles about all that we've gone through in the past twelve months - and the films, tv and books we might have missed. They've also got predictions and previews of what might be in store. In many ways, that's exciting (though with towering piles of books still to be read, it can be a little overwhelming to be reminded of how many more great titles will soon be released).

Whether we have a tendency to look back or look forward, there's something to be said for stopping, pausing and being thankful for where we are here and now.

I always delight in starting a clean, crisp and empty diary, but I usually fill a page with an unrealistic to-do list for all I want to get done in the year ahead.

So I was amused to read an article by Tim Dowling in the Guardian where he admitted to doing the same and then spending the subsequent months worrying about not achieving them. This year, he says he'll think about "the things I did actually manage to achieve in the past 12 months and exhibit a bit of gratitude for all the bad outcomes that somehow passed me by in 2022."

I hope we'll all be able to enjoy good health, a home and job, and the love and support of family and friends in this coming year, as well as reading some great books, old and new!

Thank you for reading.

Well, this is it! The last newsletter of 2022.

Next Sunday is Christmas Day so I'm hoping that rather than looking out for the evening email, we'll all have a lovely new book to read!

Thank you for all your comments and your encouragement over the past year. I'm so pleased that you're finding the book news and reviews interesting and am looking forward to all that we'll be discovering together next year.

I'll be back with you on New Year's Day so wish you good health over the next couple of weeks, and a very Happy Christmas! 

Thank you for reading.

With so many great books being published, particularly at this time of year, it's difficult for a new writer to stand out from the crowd and they're often advised by their publishers to run a book signing at their local bookshop. But when they're not yet a well known name for readers, their signature is not always the draw the marketing teams claim it to be. 

A new writer in America, Chelsea Banning, found that even though almost 40 people had said they would come along to her booksigning recently, in fact only two turned up - and they were her friends. Feeling demoralised and embarrassed, Chelsea shared her anguish on social media. 

Astonishingly many hugely successful authors responded, posting with empathy and encouragement about their own experiences. Some were mistaken for shop staff, others had to give directions to the toilets, and Jonathan Coe recalled how only one person arrived at his signing at a crime festival. "I told him how glad I was that he'd come," Coe said, only to be told "Actually I'm Ian Rankin and I was supposed to be introducing you."

It's lovely that bestselling authors such as Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, David Nicholls and others were prepared to share this 'rite of passage' with the debut novelist, attracting international media attention. Though perhaps publishers could acknowledge that this isn't really always an effective or kind way for a new author to present their book to the world?!

Thank you for reading.

What was behind the door of your advent calendar today? I had a rather lovely Christmas tree in my Angela Harding Winter Robins scene. 

I'm a great fan of her work and it's a joy to take time each day to look at the artistry of her printmaking and the beautiful colours and lines in this picture of the countryside.

Advent is a time of anticipation and preparation for the celebration of Christmas but the 24 days have long been exploited by marketing teams. Keen to sell us their products, clients or stories, advent has been an excuse to get in touch with us every day. 

I used to find that at this time of year my inbox would be filled with emails from clothing companies, charities or even professional organisations. Now they seem to use Instagram which doesn't seem quite so intrusive and is sometimes rather creative and useful!

I might not be quite so engaged by day 20 but at the moment I'm interested to see the book recommendations made by booksellers in Bath, the activities of the Anglo-Saxon boatbuilders in Woodbridge and the inventiveness of novelist and potter Elizabeth Macneil (she has embroidered her own advent calendar).

I was also pleased to see that the publication Positive News has collected a good news story for every day of advent. A few minutes on social media each day in the lead up to Christmas might be time well spent this year as we hope for a brighter, kinder, fairer future. 

Thank you for reading.

It's the end of November! We're hurtling towards Christmas and... (perhaps it's been the unseasonal weather) I'm not ready!

There's always a lot to do at this time of year, I find, but with the postal strikes I'll need to be organised earlier than usual. And this year there seem to be other pressures too - things I feel I should be doing?

There's been a steady stream of emails about 'Black Friday' urging me not to miss out on all the huge savings. In the 'cost of living crisis' I'd be foolish not to buy something I don't want or need at a slightly cheaper price than it has been or might be in the future?

Then there's the World Cup, of course. I'm not particularly interested in watching all the matches, but no need to worry because it's the top of the national news programmes and dominates the rest of the shortened bulletins. And children in Wales are given time off lessons, hopefully then to be taught how to deal with the subsequent disappointment and defeat.

The relentless pitch for Christmas is in earnest now too. The high street, hospitality trade and powers-that-be are all hoping we'll continue to spend freely to save businesses and the economy.

It is tempting to keep things as much as 'normal' as possible. But sometimes it's good to stop and pause and not get swept along with the crowd in needless frivolity, expense and indulgence. A simple meal and a small carefully chosen gift might be something to be grateful for this year. 

And a good book is always well received, I find!

Instead of looking at the bestseller charts, why not get some ideas by coming along to our meeting tomorrow evening when we'll be sharing some heartfelt recommendations of books we've discovered and enjoyed this year. To be sure I have enough chairs and mince pies, please reply to this email before noon tomorrow if you'd like to come along.

Thank you for reading.