Thank you, Glasgow, Supernap

Approximately-weekly news, #79

Hello! Let me begin with a big thank you. A BOOKSHOP SUMMER is doing beautifully, with lots of thoughtful, honest reviews, and happy-making chart positions. If you have bought, gifted, read, or reviewed the ebook, pre-ordered the paperback, or talked to your bookish friends about this novel, please know that you have made a really big difference to the space it is making for itself in the world, and I am more than grateful. Word-of-mouth and hand-to-hand is, and has always been, what sells my books.* (You can buy, gift, or read a sample of the ebook here in the UK and here in the US.. It’s currently 99p/99c.)

Also this week, ‘A Bookshop Summer’ was reviewed by Dr Martina Topic-Rutherford, in a review that my agent described as ‘the best assessment of your writing I’ve ever read’. I know the expression ‘I feel seen’ is often** used ironically/for comic effect, but when I say I feel seen by this review, I mean it, from my heart. Dr Martina articulates things that are important to me, that underpin my writing and the way I see the world, but that I didn’t think were, or would be, visible to anyone else in reading my books. I’m feeling a little bit shaky, still, from this review, but in the best of ways. This is up there with Lucy Mangan mentioning my bookshop books in her book, ‘Bookish’, something I have yet to recover from.

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This week’s permission:

You have permission to be your own judge of how you spend your time.

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Since my last occasionally-weekly newsletter, Beloved Mr Butland and I have been to Glasgow. The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum was fantastic. Favourite things incoming.

‘The Harpy Celaeno’ by Mary Pownall:

This beautiful statue of the Buddha:

And a painting by Abraham Hondius, dating from the 1660s, entitled ‘Swan Enraged By Dogs’.***

Best Pudding Of the Trip award goes to this very fancy affogato, at The Citizen:

And seeing Belle and Sebastian on the first night of their tour, in Troon, was just one of the most joyful evenings of my life.****

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Some of you have asked what happens to Harris when we are away. The answer: he stays with the human every dog loves best, aka my Dad, and he goes on All The Walks my Dad takes Harvey, his extremely energetic spaniel, on. When Harris comes home, he is happy to see us, and also very much in need of a Supernap.

I am about to show you an aerial view of the Supernap. Brace yourselves.

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I was reading a proof on the train, and took a photo. It was only when I looked at it afterwards that I realised I was doing All The Patterns.

The book is ‘The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones’ by Lex Croucher. If you like dark and magical academia, characters you both love and want to shake*****, dusty old attics, and strong themes of privilege and belonging, pre-order this now. It’s funny, clever and full of furious heart and I loved, loved, loved it.

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Updates for writers (details of what I do here):

• I’m no longer offering line editing. It’s a question of time and bandwidth. (If yours is already booked in, it’s safe ;-))

• I can do one manuscript assessment in May and one in July, and there’s also a slot for one developmental edit in May.

• The next space to take on a mentee is in May; now is a good time for us to talk about that.

• I can usually fit in submission package reviews and one-off mentoring slots within a couple of weeks of your enquiry.

If you think you might be interested in any of these services, just reply to this email and we’ll arrange a no-obligation Zoom call to discuss, and see if we’re a fit.

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There has been Much Rain here, but during the last week the February skies were something to behold. (Behold.)

Until next time, friends, sending you love and light.

Stephanie x

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*If any of my books are ever on an advert at a train station you will, of course, never hear the end of it. But still, it’s readers who have made me an author.

**including by me

***I thought, what a mad thing to paint. Then I thought, if I saw a swan being enraged by dogs I would 100% take a photo, so I guess in 1660 I might have got my oil paints out.

****I wrote a short story, once, based on going to a gig. I might dig it out and share it if you’d like.

*****Also, cheekbones sharp enough to lose an eye on, but I’m putting that separately as I’m not sure whether it was actually in the text.