Hello!

Happy July!

Book news . . .

I’ve been busy promoting Dirt in a variety of ways – it was exciting to receive a set of Dirt bookmarks in the post, to give away at bookshops and festivals! I also really enjoyed being interviewed by Denise Baden, founder of Habitat Press and Professor of Sustainable Practice at the University of Southampton – we talked about the writing of Dirt for her monthly newsletter on Creative Climate Communication. I’ve posted the interview on my website in case people without LinkedIn accounts are interested to read it.

Some lovely Goodreads reviews have appeared too – many thanks to anyone who’s posted one!

And of course, now that Dirt is out in the world, I'm starting to plot the next novel. Watch this space . . .

Summer Reading

Back in my theatre days, one of my favourite projects was directing a production of Welcome To Thebes by the brilliant playwright, Moira Buffini. So I was delighted to discover she’s just published her debut novel, and it happens to be written for a YA audience!

The book is called Songlight and I absolutely gobbled it up! It’s a big, gripping story set in a warring dystopian world where some people have telepathic abilities known as songlight. Most of society are terrified of songlight, and anyone found with this sixth sense is persecuted and denounced. Of course, several of our heroes are cursed – or blessed – with this ability! The story is told from multiple perspectives, and all the characters have their own vividly distinct voices – which makes sense, given Buffini’s playwrighting background.

It's partly inspired by John Wyndham’s sci-fi classic, The Chyrsalids (which, coincidentally, I once directed in a theatre adaptation), and I love its exploration of themes of power, love, trust and standing up for your beliefs. I also admire the way environmental themes are embedded in the world-building. Songlight imagines a far-future world that survived the fossil-fuel-driven Age of Woe by clinging to a new First Law:

Mankind shall nevermore use firefuel, in any of its forms.

It’s a thought-provoking and exciting read, and I heartily recommend it for a summer binge. Two caveats: (1) it has strong language, so isn't suitable for younger readers or anyone who isn’t keen on swearing, and (2) it’s the first in a trilogy, and there’ll be a wait before the next book comes out!

Lazy green wins #13

It’s been pretty hot where I am, so it’s a good thing today is World Ice Cream Day! Any excuse for a chocolate waffle cone . . .

My favourite keep-cool eco tip is super-simple: a jug of water in the fridge. It tastes so much better, and you don’t have to waste water running the tap to get it cold. An added bonus is that having a water jug is so elegant – every fridge in France has one, and I think we should make it an English habit too. I found mine in a charity shop, so it’s a good reason to go for a rummage!

Do you have a number one reading recommendation for the summer holidays? I’m heading to the library soon to stock up, so please send any top tips my way!​
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Until next time, Happy reading! Laura ​

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