the second best time

It's been a while... I've been working on my novel Life! Death! Prizes! (Go to yr copy of chat for the provenance of this title...) This book will come out somewhere in 2011 and I'm currently working through it with a (Very, very good) editor. There's still a way to go but we're getting there. Inching towards something special - if it doesn't kill me first.

And now there's a gap while I wait for the next batch of notes. So I'm back on the other projects. The amusing piece of candyfloss about my terrible time at ITV ('You can't afford hobnobs? What do you mean ITV can't afford hobnobs?'), the play with Mark Illis and notes for my third novel... and somewhere in the midst of all this I ought to find a way of making a proper living...

I've been spending a lot oftime up at Lumb Bank taking turn in being the new (and lovely and efficient) Centre Directors, Ben and Liz, when they need a break. The last couple of weeks I've been Liz which was excellent because the tutors were Miranda France and Hannah Pool - both of whom are gorgeous, funny and committed to helping new writers become the best that they can be. The guest reader on Thursday was Geoff Dyer who has written some brilliant books. Colour of Memory ( a kind of Vile Bodies for the Brixton dole-ite generation of the 1980s), Yoga for people who can't be bothered to do it - which I guess was his break out book, as well as books on photography and essays and a recent novel, Jeff in Venice. All of them unique swirls of memoir and fiction. You should read them (Apart from The Search... don't really need to bother with that one.) In person Geoff is engaging, witty erudite, thoughtful. Great company. Which is why it was something of a surprise when a writing student put up her hand and her question turned out to be - 'Can't we get a bit more energy in the room?' Geoff was very gracious, restricting himself to a mild - 'Oh I'm sorry I'm being such a drag for you...'

This week I'm Liz again and it's TV writers. Specifically aspirant TV comedy writers... Tony Pitts and Keith Temple are the tutors and Jesse Armstrong came as the guest. Tony and Keith are working them very hard, making the students realise that comedy is a serious business (though they haven't entirely killed laughter at Lumb Bank).

I missed Jesse who to you is probably that guy that writes Peepshow and In The Thick of It, but to me is David's son. David Armstrong is a fine crime novelist who also wrote a great writing textbook called How Not To Write A Novel... He's also a great teacher of writing and has been to Lumb several times as a tutor and it was through him that I got hold of Jesse.

One of the nice things about being unemployed enough to get to go up to Lumb Bank quite a bit these days, is that I get to be part of my final programme. Last summer when I began putting together the programme I suspected it might be my last year at Arvon and so booked writers who were not only great at tutoring, but were also people I'd want to spend time with. As it was, I left sooner rather than later, so it's nice now to pop back and say hi and have a cup of tea...

Last night I missed Jesse A because I was at Shelf Library (Outskirts of Bradford) talking to their readers' group about TAG. I love doing these sessions. A dozen well-informed, well read, intelligent readers who have all read my book and have thoughtful questions about it. Plus they laid on snacks. It was a fantastic evening. And a tribute to two librarians, Anna Turner whose own novel comes out in January, and the librarian at Shelf itself (Shelf itself - must be a more elegant way of putting that.... Anna organises the Calderdale word of mouth festival, but it was the local branch librarian (whose name, shamefully, I've forgotten - it'll come back to me) whose energy and enthusiasm got a nice little audience together...

Tomorrow I'm doing a dialogue workshop at Birmingham Book Festival. Sunday I'm out Akroyd Library in Banksfield Museum Halifax teaching writing, Monday and Thursday evenings I'm at Hebden Bridge Library for my regular workshop work-outs and next Sunday I'm in Colchester reading with AL Kennedy (whose work I love...)

After that, my notes should be back and I'll be chained to my desk again...