Burning reviews

Dee-lighted to see that George Szirtes has pasted my review of The Burning of the Books and other poems onto his website! V V V V V honoured.

I've also been asked to talk to the Women in Publishing Group in February, which is exciting, and a great opportunity for a bit of networking.

My good friend Gabriella Apicella is also starting a new storytelling event, Storytails, every month at the Pangea Project in Stoke Newington, with the first event being on Sunday 31st January. Featuring readings of short fictional stories from some professional, and some not-quite-so-professional writers, Storytails is open to all, and free to attend. For adults who miss being read to there awaits both sparkly new and solidly accomplished storytellers to share their unusual tales with you.

I'm not sure whether I can make the 31st but if not I plan to be reading a story at the February event, hopefully by a roaring fire and sitting in a rocking chair.

T S Eliot shortlist review

I've just had a review of four of the shortlisted books for the TS Eliot Prize 2010 uploaded onto the Booktrust weblog: Take a look here.

I loved, in particular, George Szirtes' The Burning of the Books and other poems (Bloodaxe). From his poem "Consuming Passion":

Life is annotation. Hunger and annotation. It is knowledge
We hunger for, letters we drink, desire in our bloodstream
For the fat, visceral, blood-bound flesh of our books.