New Carpet Required

Well how much was Manchester?

You don't have to answer that. It's a rhetorical question. I meant it the way that you'd say it if what you meant was that Manchester was really fun. That's the trouble with the internet - everything has to be so literal.

Anyway, the Manchester Book Award ceremony was so much more... well, more everything than I'd expected. There was even a red carpet. I walked up it. That was pretty cool.

By the time the end of the ceremony came, I felt so thrilled to be there that the fact I didn't win seemed completely irrelevant! The charming Mr Jeremy Strong took away the prize, but every author there was made to feel very special indeed.

The highlights for me were: being presented with an alternative version of the cover of my book, designed and created by Chloe Elliott. Your stunning picture will be on my wall forever. And also meeting Daniel England, who gave me the best review I will ever get.

I've decided that Awards Ceremonies are definitely the way forwards. They're better than birthday parties. Roll on Bolton. (That's not an instruction - I'm not telling you to go to Bolton and roll on it. That would be stragne. Again - this is an internet problem.)

Now I'm back I have more emails to get through than ever. Sorry everyone if it takes until you're ninety for me (and my monkey) to reply. I have introduced a new rule for myself though - I'm not allowed to go to the toilet until I've answered all of my emails for the day.

Things could get messy.