Friday 25 April 2008

May 1st

My book comes out in a week. Foul Play. There's a launch at Puffin on 1st May. I am very excited.

I got my first finished copy in the post today. Getting it was a lovely moment. I sat down on the steps outside the Post Office to enjoy it. To relish it.

All week I've been in libraries doing Premier League Reading Stars events. Sessions with families about reading football. Facing penalties, doing quizzes. I think I like doing these events as much as I do writing.

Leeds are one up at Yeovil, five minutes in. If we win we're in the play offs. We find out if we get our 15 points back on 1st May. I've been talking to football fans all week about it - Sunderland fans, Birmingham fans, Newcastle fans, Man U fans, Bolton fans. Most of them think we should get the points back. I don't think Carlisle and Doncaster fans agree.

I met a man in his 70s this week. He was at the 1973 FA Cup Final, where Sunderland beat Leeds. Infamously. It was good to talk to him. He said he'd met a Leeds fan before the game and the Leeds fan had predicted Sunderland would win 1-0.

Roll on 1st May...