it’s not that I don’t WANT to blog (I always do, I like the conversation, the messages in reply, the thing that is sent out and responded to), there are things happening that I care about hugely in Turkey (Istanbul, Gezi, the absurd proprietorial feeling I have for Theodora’s city!), in Greece, the STUPID TORY government in the UK, and I feel I want to share those cares and have discussion about those concerns … but/and I have too many jobs.

The Purple Shroud has come out in paperback and had a nice Guardian review last Saturday. Like.

Murder, Marple and Me is at The Ambassadors this week and next and has given me my first West End directing credit (part of a tour, I know, but I care hugely anyway. It is “thewestend”).

I’m writing this from the Northwich Literary Festival which took a stupid amount of (broken) trains to get to – AND was well worth it.

We’re gearing up for Chaosbaby weekends in June and July prior to our August push – two weeks of rehearsals, workshops, showings, during which I’m teaching a two-day writing/impro-for-writers workshop. You can come. It’s the 15/16 August in Deptford, daytime, and not very expensive. (£100 ish for two days, tbc, but it’s to raise money for Chaosbaby, and also to grow our audience, so we’re keeping it fairly low. More info to come.)

Next week I’m going to the Historical Novel Society conference in Florida. My first historical-writing do in the US. eek. And yay. (and THANK YOU to the Society of Authors who gave me a travel award last week which is why I can afford to go.)

Then I’m going to Spain to teach writing for two days with my brilliant friend Trish of Makebelieve Arts.

And then there is the Fun Palaces project. Ooh, it’s taking all the time in the world. Every second email. So many late-night emails it makes Shelley crazy. It makes me crazy. I NEVER wanted to be a producer but, with this, I am. (It helps hugely that Sarah Jane did, does, and knows how to be one!) And yet … every time I talk about the idea, people say yes. They get it. It’s right, it’s timely, and yes, my enthusiasm when I talk about it is part of it, but it touches people. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the right thing to do NOW (well, next year). Do follow the link. We want – it needs – EVERYONE. Wherever you are.

And there are other things. A new book, first draft, delivered to agents. A play wanting to be re-written. A book half-broken up towards adapting. An opera (heh, I know, adaptation!). Flaxes dug up and split and re-planted. Plants re-potted. Cooking done. Swimming, gym, sunshine/not sunshine. MAIROULA in Lancaster next month.

There. I blogged. They’re still dealing with it in Syria. In Gezi, in Istanbul. I hope it’s OK to remember them and also be getting on. I hope we don’t one day say we should have done more, paid more attention. (I honestly don’t mean that in a knowing, ‘I-know-better-than-you’ way. I’m normal, usual. My daily life does preoccupy me, especially when the ‘things’ feel as vital an necessary as the Fun Palaces.) AND I want to remember what else there is.