Dear friends,

The next time you hear from me, I will have submitted the final draft of All My Worldly Joy to Unbound's editing team. I almost can't believe it. I'm astonished to have got this far. I've had a complete manuscript for a few months now and have been busily buffing and polishing, identifying the best bits and then trying to drag the rest up to that standard, running extracts past people who are mentioned... It's all-consuming. I exist in this constant state of excitement twinned with anxiety. Occasionally, I'm required to interact with other human beings and then I emerge, blinking, into the sunlight and find that I've completely forgotten how to hold a conversation. 

The deadline is 23rd October. I had imagined that I would feel a glorious relief and sense of achievement. I would hit the 'send' button and immediately go on holiday. In reality, I've realised that what I'm going to feel is yet more anxiety twinned with excitement. I'm going to be on tenterhooks waiting to find out what the editors have to say. And it will be half-term, so I'll be facilitating my son's social life while picking up everything I've postponed over the last few months. But that's all right. 

I'm so thankful to you all - not just for being here and supporting the book in the first place, although that in itself is huge. So many of you have encouraged me over the past few months. You've checked in with me and asked how it's going, not just in a polite, making conversation sort of way, but because you genuinely care. Some of you have read extracts, great swathes of text, and made helpful suggestions. Some of you have allowed me to use your names, or our shared experiences, or you've allowed me to quote you. Many of you have been patient with my chronic unavailability.

In many ways, this book feels like the project of my life - everything that I am and everything I have done so far has gone into it. It's the biggest, most important, most frightening venture since I became a parent nine years ago. I just want to do it well. I'm so glad that you're all here, with me, and you're part of it. I couldn't do this alone.

With love,

Laura x