Teen panel event at the Free Word Centre

So, here are five authors hanging out at the Free Word Centre last night;  The evening comprised of the wondrous Sophie McKenzie reading from SISTER MISSING, me blithering on about QUARRY, the legendary Graham Marks, laying aside his author hat in order to chair the event, awesome Jenny Downham, reading from YOU AGAINST ME, Gregg Olsen, talking about his fabulous ENVY.  We all chatted about writing teen books and inspiration and answered questions from the audience.

The journey from apple-land to the big smoke usually offers some gifts or other and this time they were.
1) Man with large green parrot on shoulder buying coffee at Taunton Station cafe (His jacket was very worn around shoulders suggesting these were old friends) note: it was not the parrot wearing the jacket or buying the coffee.
2) Plumptious lady on train exhorting her small son not to use her  'bum as a step.'

3) Finding a book at Paddington instructing me how to knit the royal wedding, oh my, the  knitted Arch Bishop of Canterbury is the funniest thing I have seen for a very long time. (the beard! the hair! ) 'KNIT YOUR OWN ROYAL WEDDING' by Fiona Goble. How can anyone live without this book I don't know.