End of summer, start of new things

Well, now that our stormy summer is over and the autumn sun is beating down (!) I'm back from mountainous Wales and once again at my desk in the city. I do love autumn, though, with its air of new beginnings: the theatres starting their programmes and Manchester Literature Festival on the horizon, and as a rule whole new writing projects ahead of me. Next weekend there are two mini-festivals in which I'm taking part. On Friday and Saturday (14th and 15th) there's a celebration of 60 years of Stand magazine at Leeds University, with workshops and poetry and fiction readings. (I'm reading with other Stand fiction contributors at 1.30 on the Saturday afternoon). Meanwhile, on Saturday Edwina Currie will open another 2-day festival: the Oxfam Alderley Edge Community Book Festival, with readings from writers such as Melvin Burgess, Nick Royle, Livi Michael and Conrad Williams. (And me: I'm kicking off the Sunday readings at 11.00 am, and if no one manages to get out in time to hear me, at least I'll be compensated by a day of other, fabulous readings to attend!)