I turn my back for a few minutes (or weeks) and my web design team have highjacked my blog. They didn't do too bad a job, all things considered. I may consider hiring them full-time - if I can afford their rates. For now I'm back in the saddle, and looking forward to tomorrow, when I'll be performing at the Hay Festival alongside a great bunch of writers: Sion Tomos Owen, Carley Holmes, Rachel Trezise, Lewis Davies, Dan Tyte, Holly Muller, Jemma King, and Susie Wild. We'll be doing a gala-style event called Parthian Rarebit, at half eight on Monday evening, to celebrate the 21 birthday of Parthian Books. Susie and Lewis are hosting, the rest of us will be reading from our latest, and tickets are only a fiver. This should be one to remember, folks.
Tyler is being very bashful about this, so we at his web design team have decided to take matters into our own hands, and make the announcement he has managed to avoid - despite all our prodding. His second novel, The Drive, has been shortlisted for The Wales Book of the Year 2014. The Drive is one of three books in the English language fiction category; it has been selected alongside Francesca Rhydderch's The Rice Paper Diaries, and Tessa Hadley's Clever Girl. The official announcement broadcast is available to view online here. Fans take note: all shortlisted entries are also eligible for the Media Wales People's Prize, which Tyler picked up back in 2011. Can he repeat the feat? It's up to you: check out the voting page to see which book is your favourite. Good luck to all the contenders, for all the prizes - in many ways they're each already a winner. There, Tyler. You can have your blog back. For now.
This week I'm returning to the Aberyswyth Arts Centre for a joint event with fellow Parthian author Carly Holmes. In preparation, I've been reading Carly's debut novel, The Scrapbook, over the long weekend. It's a stunner: confidently written, well-paced, and with a wonderfully lyrical prose style that draws you in and carries you along. Katherine Stansfield, author of The Visitor and lecturer at Aberystwyth, will be acting as host on the night and fielding Q&A from the audience. Things kick off on Wednesday night (May 7) at 6.30 in the bookshop, and as ever the wine will be free, and flowing freely.
