FINISHED COPIES OF MY NEW NOVEL HAVE ARRIVED. This never gets any less exciting for me. One problem: I’m doing a spoken word event at the Newark Book Festival in Nottinghamshire on Friday, so I asked for the books to be sent to my parents’ house, which is not far from there, and they’ve arrived a day early. So they get to see 1983 before me. And, it seems, in the case of my dad - and possibly George the cat - read it, and make notes on it, too. I’m trying to stay cool about it, even though it feels a bit like I’m eight years old and somebody just moved Christmas to Boxing Day evening.

P.S. If you’d like a copy, you can pre-order it here with free worldwide delivery: blackwells.co.uk/booksh…