The Great Indoors

My wife loves camping. Most wives would sell their souls for a 5 star hotel for the weekend, but Annette likes nothing better than being under canvas in the great outdoors. She delights in fresh air, fields and trees, birds singing at an ungodly hour in the early dawn, camping stoves, canvas roofs and all the things that go with getting back to nature. I enjoy them too, once I've been prised from my office chair and am in the thick of grasslands and beaches, but I need a push to get me there. This weekend, a blazing hot and wonderful weekend, we went to north Suffolk where the beaches are long, curving and full of sand, but surprisingly empty of people.

As for the great indoors, I am deep into my novel, which will soon be in the capable hands of my new agent, John Jarrold. John is an old friend and fellow workshop writer. We once belonged to the same group of scribblers. He has taken me into his fold of authors and I'm delighted to be there. Other happenings, which are exciting to me though perhaps of little consequence internationally, comprise a volume of poetry produced in collaboration with my deceased friend Rob Holdstock entitled 'Poems, Peoms and Other Atrocities', due out this week with PS Publishing, and a collection of stories (written all by myself) entitled 'The Fabulous Beast' - tales of horror, fantasy and science fiction - also due out this week with Infinity Plus. These are momentous occurrences in the Kilworth household and much excitement fills the air as we wait with impatience for the thumps of packages on the mat in the hall.