Finally the grass has returned to Hoxton Square, and we’ve been taking our sandwiches into the sunshine for lunch. We’ve got our fingers crossed for a long, hot summer, but should that fail to materialise we’re recommending a visit to Michael Jenkins’s A House in Flanders as a back-up this month. With him you can escape to the golden summer of a 14-year-old boy sent to France in the school holidays.
The Summer issue has now arrived, its cover bearing a beautiful illustration by Emily Sutton (it could be a strong contender for the next tea towel design). It’s full of articles which will whet your appetite for a summer of reading. We’ve also recently published three more paperbacks, as well as the 22nd Slightly Foxed Edition, Richard Hillyer’s Country Boy, which comes dressed in the shades of a wild orchard, all apple green and poppy red.
Our 10th birthday and 40th issue are steadily approaching and we’ll soon be letting you know how we intend to celebrate them. Until then, you can catch up with us at several literary events over the summer, and of course there’s our Readers’ Day to look forward to on 9 November. Speakers will include Quentin Blake, Ronald Blythe, Usrula Buchan, Sue Gee and Sara Wheeler. You’ll find more details below. For now, though, we leave you with P.D. James, Michael Jenkins and the panther.