Exactly three months ago to the day I wrote a newsletter about the vagaries of time management and promised to get back to you all with an update about how my various projects were progressing. So, as threatened, here we go on a short tour of my front catalogue:
Project 1 - The Book Lover’s Almanac
Back in April I was starting to go through slightly delayed proofs of this book which is planned to come out in the autumn with the British Library. Yesterday I got the final ones back plus the very nearly finished cover (pictured above) - thanks to my eagle-eyed editor Alison the text is all looking hunky dory now though I have spotted one thing that needs fixing (my fault, not hers). Nearly there with this one and very pleased with how it’s looking, lots of excellent illustrations and a beautiful cover featuring a colourised border taken from a frontispiece in one of the books printed by the Kelmscott Press founded by William Morris, he of the pursuit of the “ideal book”.
Project 2 - Untitled
This was an idea for a short Christmas book which came out of a meeting with one of my publishers who seemed very keen on it. I was just about to pitch it formally three months ago. I duly pitched it. I am yet to hear back, either yea or nay but am about to give them a nudge).
Project 3 - A Year of Reading Welshly (working title)
This was the one I was most worried about in terms of timescale. The preliminary reading and researching has been going fine but even in April I was a concerned that the February 2024 deadline for submitting the manuscript was going to be tight. I’ve come to realise that it’s more than tight, it’s impossible because of pressure of work. Anyway, the publishers have been very amenable and I’m now going to let them have it at the end of next July (coming out in 2025, unless I postpone the date again…).
Project 4 - Studios of Their Own
A sequel-ish follow-up to Rooms of Their Own which has done really well over here and in German, Italian and Korean translation too. At the time of the last newsletter, I was still in the pre-writing planning stage, but I am now “driving forward” with this and the illustrator Jim Oses has already come up with some loverly illustrations. It’s full speed ahead on this now with a deadline of the New Year to get it all done. Probably out late 2024
Project 5 - 100 Words for Rain (working title)
A book about the British weather for the National Trust, out next year (summer?). Due date for this manuscript was August 6, but I submitted it earlier this week. As the young people say, smashed it.
So that’s the state of play. I’ve wisely not taken on any more major projects in the intervening months, other than my usual columns for the Idler magazine and my ‘day job’ as online editor at Fine Books & Collections and don’t plan to do so until the start of next year. Next update in mid-October, if you can bear the wait.