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I did a somewhat muddled newspaper interview on the phone today, about Dexter Bexley and prizes etc. I will do a different interview about Addis Berner Bear on monday and have photographs taken on tuesday.

Last night I had to turn down an interesting book jacket project because of the US exchange rate and tax and the fact that I have so many projects that I can't see straight as it is. I really need to be mister organized and get schedules fixed etc. Yup, it's a real job, much as I like to pretend otherwise (alright, no it isn't).

I booked a lot of expensive train tickets and did a lot of admin and maddening things and I wish I had a drawing to post here instead of these dull words...

Here's something from the desktop:

Standing on one leg

Making an idiot of myself in public yet again...

Dexter's

I got a message about daughters and sons, and nephews and nieces who genuinely love Dexter Bexley, and who draw because of it! That made me really happy. I haven't heard back about my proposal for the second book yet. But my fiction editor is being very understanding and patient about my -just for the moment- slowness with Stanley book two, and I'm hugely grateful for that.

Last night was fun. And oh, the seeds I sowed in pots all over this here desk are sprouting, I just spotted.

Medieval hipsters

My father once told me that one of his proudest character traits was that of being fantastically unhip. How could anyone who plays purple bagpipes on the telly refer to himself as unhip, I ask you?

Click here for a clip of him playing in Rosslyn Chapel on BBC Scotland. look at the clip down the page marked Rosslyn Motet, and there is a small bit in the next clip afterwards as well.



Also his life (so far's) work is published tomorrow:

The Architecture of the Spirit.

I was going to try to write some sort of disclaimer about kinds of spirituality and stuff, but frankly I can't be arsed.

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Behind the fence across the street they are building an underground tunnel and the cranes and work-lamps light up the mist conspiratorialy.

I rode the train home from a meeting with a gigantic husky dog. I mean to say that there was a gigantic husky dog the size of a bear riding the underground train. The meeting was with publishers, about bears. I will get a contract for the book with Michael Rosen, it seems, and the the Hans Andersen book is doing well again.

Also, here. Better late than never:

Missing Bears and Sneaks and Peaks

I heard a Nightingale singing in the tree behind the supermarket. It was silhouetted against the thick pink sky amongst Plane tree baubles.

Yesterday I walked for a long way.
Today I had a doctor's appointment. It's quite funny that an appointment I waited more than four months to get, turned out to be in a surgery completely literally across the street from my house. Hooray for the NHS.

If you buy Addis Berner Bear Forgets in the UK Doubleday edition you will get the text in its original form, untampered. If you buy it in the FSG US edition later in the year you will get a very slightly different text and this missing bear on page four:



Buy both!

These are some last minute changes I am working on, as well as the cover, for Have You Ever Seen A Sneep by Tasha Pym:

Sound of one hand clapping.

About half way with the cover for Have You Ever Seen A Sneep? today,
And ready to send an outline and some doodles for Dexter Bexley 2.

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Some beautiful things, passed on by my dear mum:

Brief Visitor

For Matthew and Steph:

Flyboy rehearsal.mp3

Matthew Robins: Piano (harmonium on the day).
Steph Von Reiswitz: Violin.
Me: Singing saw, vibraslap, bells, banjo.

Polite request

I spent some time running my fingers and eyes over all the different pieces of expensive and beautiful lithography and etching equipment in Cornellison's today, as well as wandering the prints and drawings section of the British museum.
Who wants to rent me a lovely place with a stove and a printing press, and maybe a little garden and at least some real daylight (I'm going mad with dark in this studio), for really cheap? And can you write my books for me please? And colour them in? I eagerly await your response...

Diary Dates

(Features me on some instrument or other).

(Doesn't feature me, but you should go anyway).

Senior moments

A few more pictures of my dad before we leave him to his bus pass. Leo wants to see. The rest of you ... make a cup of tea or something.











(This is me, giving just a taste of hair problems to come).

(The view from the Commune).



(My grandmother and grandfather).