Dear friends,

Just thought I'd check in with a little update, as I'm writing furiously behind the scenes ahead of the manuscript deadline of 23 October. Since I last posted, the epilogue has been drafted, and the first two chapters completely rewritten. From here, it's editing and more editing and then some more editing until October comes around. Some of the text has been edited a lot already and feels quite polished, while other bits... not so much. Some of you who are mentioned in the book have already seen extracts and given your blessing (thank you). Others will hear from me in the next couple of months. This phase of the writing is really intense; I won't lie - I've been going a bit mad with it all - but I think that's a necessary part of the process. I've tried to 'clear the decks' work-wise as much as possible, with mixed success, but mixed success is better than no success and it feels like this book is travelling toward completion faster than it ever has before. So, yes, please hang tight and bear with me and I'll be in touch!

I also wanted to mention that yesterday would have been my lovely nan's 100th birthday. She plays a bit of a starring role in those first two chapters that I'm working on at the moment, so in time you will all know her and love her as much as I do. We miss her very much. I thought I would share some photos in honour of her birthday. 

That last one of Nan on a cruise cracks me up. I don't know the backstory of the bananas but I'm sure there is one! We decided not to include photos in the book in the end. Maybe I'll do a post here later with all the photos that would have gone in...

Since I started working on All My Worldly Joy, I've been careful not to write a 'misery memoir.' Although lots of shit things have happened, and some elements of my story are unavoidably quite grim, I've been fortunate to have been surrounded by lovely things and lovely people throughout. Including all 559 of you! I hope you all have a glorious summer, and a bit of a rest as well.

With love,

Laura x