Readers in Hampshire, Norfolk and Somerset

I feel very flattered that three book clubs have chosen my book as their book of the month.

First Talk of 2024

Last night was my first talk of the year – my 14th – and it was in the most impressive venue in which I’ve given a talk. The Austrian Cultural Forum is in Knightsbridge, in a mid-19th-century white stucco building with seven storeys.

Taunton in Somerset

Taunton Literary Festival was my last book talk of the year, and what exalted company I was in. Other speakers during the month of book events included Vince Cable, The Countess of Carnarvon (owner of Highclere Castle – think Downton Abbey), and my fellow Froomy, Peter Clark.

…and a surprise trip

We were off to Prague for a friend’s birthday treat that had been organised for some time. Six of us were going and we planned to surprise our friend at the airport. Prague is one of my favourite cities and this was my fourth visit – the first was in 1992 when there were no tourists. I never tire of going as there is always something new to see, and the restaurants are great!

A day at the Yeovil Literary Festival

This was my tenth talk in front of a live audience! I’ve also been on BBC television, have been interviewed on five different radio programmes and in two online interviews. One more festival to go this year, but watch this space…

My talk at the Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution

In the early nineteenth century it was decided that a Literary and Scientific Institution should be created in Bath. So in 1824, the BRLSI opened on Terrace Walk. Today the institution is in a different historic building – at number 16-18 Queen Square – and I felt very privileged to be speaking in this esteemed place.

Small town with big ideas

The Mere Literary Festival has been running for 26 years, and that’s a lot longer than most. Nowadays there are hundreds of festivals of all shapes and sizes in Britain and no doubt thousands worldwide.

Books on the island

The festival took place this month and it was located in the magnificent Northwood House in Cowes. I took the convenient Red Jet ferry from Southampton to Cowes, where one of the festival cars picked me up.

Celebrating literature & arts by the sea

Appledore Book Festival takes place from 15 to 24 September this year and it’s at lots of different venues in the charming little fishing village of Appledore.

‘Appledore? Where’s that?’ You may well ask. It’s three miles from Bideford on the north Devon coast – the quiet coast that’s not near a big centre of population like the south coast, and it’s an unspoilt small town with sandy beaches.

Three things happened yesterday

Number one: my book was published in the USA and Canada, although the Kindle version had already been available there for a while. Let’s hope that I get a few more reviews from the US now. So far (on Amazon) I have 33 ratings of which nine are actual written reviews…but only one is from anyone in North America…so far!

Frome Festival

As I live in Frome, I was lucky enough to be involved in not one…but three different events. First of all was Frome Small Publishers’ Fair, where I had a stand. It’s an annual event that took place at the Silk Mill on Saturday 8th July this year and is part of the Frome Festival and run by the Frome Writers Collective.

The Day Has Come!

It was the big day – Monday 3rd of July – UK publication day. The evening before, I’d driven up to Manchester to be in place for a 09.05am interview with BBC Breakfast at Salford Quays. Who knew that so much BBC material is recorded at their studio in Manchester?

Felixstowe Book Festival

Harvest House is a former hotel that opened in 1903 – the year of my grandmother’s birth. Since then it’s been used for all sorts of things, including the setting for the book festival that launched in 2013.

My first newspaper

Today I appeared in the Frome Times, my local paper. I’m wondering whether I might be a question in my local pub quiz at the Griffin! My piece is just beneath one about our disgraced MP…

Sturminster Newton Literary Festival

June 5th was my second book event, the Sturminster Newton Literary Festival. I’d never been to the small Dorset town before, and appropriately it is the centre of Hardy country (the more famous one). The venue was 1855, a former NatWest bank building that has been restored and revamped to accommodate – initially – 30 traders.

Burnham-on-Sea Book Festival

Saturday May 20th, 2023 was my first ever book festival. Lewis, the festival organiser, asked me to run a Travel Writing Workshop (together with Peter) in the morning and a book talk in the afternoon. There wasn’t a lot of time between events.

Vienna in springtime!

This week was my first time in Vienna since November 2015 when I came up with the idea of researching – and then writing – a book about my family. The city was just as lovely as I remember it and two days weren’t nearly long enough!

Ad Lib has bagged The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis, a "meticulously-researched" family history by Felice Hardy.

Editorial director Duncan Proudfoot acquired world all language rights from Neil Hennessy-Vass at Xavicus Media. The book will be published on 3rd July 2023.