Books Really Are My Bag

Big book news & a favour

I’m creeping back into your inboxes and Substack feeds with some book news and a favour. Let’s start with the favour in case you don’t finish reading the whole post.

I am absolutely delighted that Alice With a Why has been shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Reader’s Awards. It’s such a lovely award as the shortlists are chosen by indie booksellers and the winners are chose by readers. Can you see where this is going.

Why yes, it’s a public vote and public votes mean public requests to vote for me. It’s a very strong shortlist and I fear the odds are perhaps not in my favour, but I’d be very grateful if you’d consider voting for me in the Children’s Fiction category. You just need to provide an email to vote and by voting you also are entered into a draw to win £100 book token. Thank you so much if you do take the time, I really appreciate it! Voting closes this Sunday, the 26th October and you can vote here!

I actually was at the very first Books Are My Bag Reader Awards back in 2016 with half of publishing and more prosecco than they tend to have on hand these days, as is generally my experience of publishing parties ten years ago vs now, alas. But here’s the thing, books really are my bag, I have the photo to prove it.

And if you’re still here then you’ve made it to my news! Which you may already know if you follow me on Instagram! I have done what I’ve been threatening for a long time and written a book for grown-ups! A romcom called Good Fortunes about bookshops, Pride & Prejudice, sisters, and more jokes than you’d expect about James McAvoy as a faun in Narnia. It’s about a deeply unbookish woman called Marianne who after her work and love life combusts ends up begrudgingly getting a job in an indie bookshop that no one goes to where she discovers that the stock cupboard takes her into Pride & Prejudice. Unfortunately for Marianne, she’s never read it, has no idea what happens in it, and is deeply unequipped to navigate Regency norms, clothes or men. It’s going to be published in spring 2027 in the UK and the US and I have had the most fun writing it. You can scroll down for the official announcements in The Bookseller and Publishers Marketplace oh and, remember to vote for me in the Readers Awards, I will be eternally grateful/bewitched body and soul etc etc!

I’m sure you will be hearing a lot more about it but for now, enjoy my favourite posts on my Substack: