Update 20.01.21
The publishers have asked me to keep everyone up to date with my progress on the letters of M R James and I think that is a splendid idea. I also thought that everyone might like something that gives a glimpse into affairs at Mainley-Piddock towers whilst this also evolves. So here goes, this morning just before I found out that you lovely lot had funded the book hurricane Christo or something near that name had hit the country, just as Himself (the husband) had decided to try and get our ancient Peugeot 106 brakes mended, mechanic turns up and gallantly decides to have a go at said brakes, even though it was blowing a hoolie and lashing his head with generous amounts of rain.
My stray cat Chewy (he’s still auditioning us) wandered in meowing loudly for food, with his boyfriend (ginger) in tow, who also wanted feeding, as did our two resident cats, Poppy and Pod (Mother and Daughter duo) so I fed cats, checked phone, and the book had been funded. Felt a bit funny, so had to sit down. Then tweeted everyone with the news that Sunday evening that great person Mark Gatiss had agreed to write the forward to the book. (Which had occurred a bit like this)...
(Me on couch) - phone goes off...I look at it thinking it was my auld mam, no there it was...I looked up and said to himself, umm It’s Mark Gatiss, he doesn’t blink an eye as if he’s used to celebrities dropping in “Better answer it then”...
So I’d been holding that fantastic news to myself since Sunday, you try sleeping knowing this sort of stuff is going on...so I was pretty tired by this morning when I received some more fantastic news about a very recently discovered cache of letters in another archive, which even James’s biographers (according to the lovely archivist) don’t #yet know about...(ooh)...
So yes my lovely supporters it is all getting #very exciting and I promise that I #will keep you all posted...