Book tour: week two
signing books, seaside swims & (of course) dinners alone
Hi friends. Leg two of my book tour: done. I’m learning how to manage my energy in a new way—I keep getting the Magician tarot card in readings. It does feel like a new magic power has been discovered! Granted, I’m sitting here writing this under a blanket with a sore shoulder and a croaky voice but I feel energised (in my soul?)
My dear friend
has just released a new journal called Time to Thrive, all about our different energy zones. It’s helping me work out which ‘zone’ I need to energise. Emotionally, I feel great, but physically: not so good. Lots of sitting on trains or hunching over signing books. During my burnout, it was the opposite—I felt emotionally depleted and depressed, but physically fine. Good to be aware of the different zones, I think.So yes—the journey continues in how to manage energy levels when on stage and in public (as a sensitive post-burnout frog), and I am relieved to have found many new tools that work for me, in order to do a book tour and actually thrive doing it. I now have a week off to refill my cup before the next leg of events! I’ve really loved being out there again.
If you’d like to hear me speak about Table For One and live in/near London or Kent, you can catch me at Ink82 on May 27th with
also discussing her book Pathways (tickets here) and also on May 29th with in Margate (tickets here). I’m also doing two events at SXSW London: one interviewing the co-founder of Substack and another Substack-based event with and . (Full details on my events here).
Saturday
Taking little shots of ginger is really saving the day at the moment. After my Her Table dinner party on Thursday, I felt hungover the next day even though I mostly drank non-alcoholic wine. That wonderfully full feeling you get after hosting a birthday party where you try and replay every conversation you had in your head. Alas I only had one day to recover and digest the magic! Back to Paddington station I go, this time headed to Bude Literary Festival in Cornwall. My parents picked me up from Exeter St David’s station and we drove to Bude together. (They have accompanied me to many book festivals over the years!) We drove straight to the beach: the tidal pool was closed for maintenance (sad face) but it was actually pretty fun dunking myself in the cold sea. Then back to my room for a nap and a bath (which had a calming view of the beach).
My event in the evening was at the Parkhouse Centre, a short walk from my hotel and I was interviewed by journalist Natasha Harding who asked wonderful questions about solo trips, relationships, solitude, writing fiction—and there were lovely audience follow-ups from people who had clearly been engaging with my work for years. Meant a lot. I even signed a copy of A Year of Nothing for someone :)
Sunday
In the morning, we drove to the Rebel Cinema to see an early screening of The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. I loved the book—and I was super excited to see the adaptation starring Gillian Anderson. (Winn is a patron of the Bude Literary Festival). I felt really moved by the film, it really captures the essence of the book, the resilience of people, the kindness of strangers, and the idea of what ‘home’ really is.) I headed back to London on the train that afternoon and really enjoyed a night on the sofa with Paul. And breathe.
Monday
Day at home, getting admin done, emails, selling some bits on Vinted, chilling, and sitting in the garden. The sunny weather helped. At 3pm I’m back out the house catching a train from Paddington to Bath for an event at the Bath Literature Festival. I wore this rainbow Boden dress. I popped into Topping & Company Booksellers (one of my favourite bookshops) and signed 30 books. Vincenzo Latronico, author of PERFECTION (recently shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025) was also there signing books for his event and I said hi and we got a photo together. The brilliant Kate Young (author of Experienced—a queer romcom set in Bristol, yes please) interviewed me and I really loved how she asked so many thoughtful questions about the difference between writing fiction and non-fiction. Afterwards, I went for a solo dinner at Oak restaurant (a recommendation from my friend
). It was delicious and the perfect way to unwind.
Tuesday
I finally ordered the Elena Ferrante quartet books! I’m currently reading May Sarton’s Journal of a Solitude. Reading is really topping me back up amidst the tour. In the evening I went along to a very special dinner to celebrate Dolly Alderton’s ten year anniversary of writing her column for The Sunday Times STYLE magazine. I wore this polka dot Boden dress. It was so much fun! I met Dolly back in our early twenties as little baby journalists and it felt super meaningful to celebrate everything that’s happened over the past decade with her. A personal highlight was meeting the musical genius and artist Self Esteem. I think she may be the coolest woman alive...
Now, for some rest. Week three, coming soon! Thank you so much for the support of Table For One :) It’s currently an ‘editor’s pick’ on Apple Books and no #1 ‘most wished for’ on Amazon across women’s fiction. I’m really grateful. It’s felt nerve-wracking at times—as I’m no longer the shiny debut author!—and I couldn’t be happier with how the novel has been received so far. Thank you :)
ICYMI, my first week of book tour below—which was just as eventful!
I just returned home to the US after a 2-week trip to Europe which included both Edinburgh and Dublin. I stopped at several bookstores on the hunt for Table for One and struck gold at a bookstore on Grafton Street in Dublin— such complete joy!!! 🤩
Another lovely week!
Is this going to be your first time reading the Neopolitan Quartet? If so am very excited for you and for what it's worth would recommend reading them slowly because you will likely want to power through but it's really worth soaking in every intricacy of decades long female friendship that Ferrante does soo incredibly in these. I love them x