Did anyone else blink and it's June? I can't even believe 6 months has gone and just so much has happened. Apart from my dad it's been a great year so far and for that I'm grateful. I'll honestly take any good news I can get at this point.
I hit a career highlight. I got to chair a panel for The London Book Fair! Now to do this you usually have to pitch and I'm sure I've pitched before but this time the amazing Bec, who was organising it asked me to do it! It was so much fun and I wish it was longer but it made me look at my LBF journey and honestly wow. I went from no one talking to me, to winning Trailblazers to chairing LBF. What's so funny is I've always wanted to chair Waterstones events cause they look like loads of fun so hopefully now I'll get asked :). I was asked to do another LBF event - who am I even? Lol. I had to do a Q and A with Yomi Adegoke, co-author of Slay In Your Lane. So glad that I'm getting these fun opportunities.
Can you believe I'm working on book 5? It's so funny going from taking my time writing Emily Knight to now having deadlines. I don't even know how I make these deadlines to be honest. I wrote book 5 in about 5 months while grieving which is so weird to me. I always thought I needed at least a year but I'm much faster than what I give myself credit for. A school is Dulwich in Yr 7 are doing this very cool session on me and my books—how cool is that? Even though writing is hard and sometimes I hate words I'm loving all of these opportunities.
Cover for The Very Merry Murder Club published by Farshore out in October. Cover by the brilliant Harry Woodgate. My story is an Oceans Eleven style Christmas heist. You can pre-order here
It's been so great seeing friends again. I'm really funny about going on the trains for some reason so I'm being all uppity and getting taxi's everywhere. My mum laughed at me when I said I took a taxi to and from Soho when there is a straight bus that can go there. In my defence it was a Bank Holiday money and I was not trying to be around all these people in the heat on a bus for 40 or so minutes. Anneliese took me to this lovely Chinese restaurant. It was the type of boujee where they put cavier on dumpings! Initially I wanted to eat outside until I sat outside and realised I don't really like sitting outside but it was gorgeous. For my birthday last year Aleta got me a bubble tea voucher which is a bit of me and I FINALLY got to use it. It was such a beautiful day and made me feel more comfortable to meet up with others. Zarah and I went to see Leanee's new beautiful house. I don't think I've seen Leanne for over a year and Zarah since summer so it was so great to be around my girls. Lunch with Aleta ended up with her trying cricket salsa. When I tell you this salsa looked grey and grainy and I couldn't believe that she was up for it. The server was so excited to the point that I think this was his creation because honestly why would you care. She said it tasted like jerk. I cannot!
I had to go to my dad's workplace to get his stuff from his lockers. I didn't really think about how emotional it would be but when I got to Paddington I found myself just looking for him. I thought I was going to grab his stuff but his work collegues (including my uncle who I had no idea worked there and I was so confused!) they gave a really amazing speech, did a round of applause and gave so many gifts. It was incredibly overwhelming and I couldn't stop crying. It's so weird cause I know my dad was the best but when you hear it from others and see how much he impacted everyone he met, I just feel so proud and honoured to be his. I ended up leaving with two bags from his locker I had to meet Helen for lunch and I'm sure I looked a hot mess. But I was so grateful to have that distraction. If I just went home after I think I would have been in a weird mood but nothing like some Helen time and cocktails to improve my mood!
Baller Boys won Best Children's Book for the People's Book Prize! This is the second year that a Hashtag book has one and it means so much.
This was my first Father's Day without Dad. I was thinking about what do I want to do and I realised that I don't want to see any celebrations. I'm not here for it. So I didn't go on social media. We sent a lovely card to my brother and we ended up being busy that they day whizzed by. My uncle that works at my Dad's work place, his wife, sister and Mum who's visiting from Nigeria surprised us by visiting and it was really nice to see them. Especially good for Mum.
I've seen some odd things recently. When I was driving to Leanne's house I saw a Dad and his son riding a horse but it looked more like a pony by Tower Bridge. A dog was strapped to the back of a cyclist, a lady doing Yoga on scaffolding and a cat jumping on the roof of a car to climb a tree despite the owner of the car trying to scare it off—this was all in Hackney so I guess it's not super weird.
Matt Hancock. The GIF of Phoebe screaming 'MY EYES' is the best way to describe how I felt seeing that picture. Speaking of Phoebe this was everything and more AND I'm going Friends Fest! Yay!
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