Literary Festivals & Radio Shows…all a normal day these days

Yesterday I took part in a live radio interview – the first time I’ve done anything like it, although a couple of weeks ago I did a pre-recorded one which was fun. I didn’t feel nervous then, and did expect to be a bit yesterday as it was live, but I surprised myself by not feeling any nerves at all. I thought I’d be stumbling over words, or my mind might go blank, but once I got going on talking about Susie-Belle, puppy farming and the book, there was no stopping me! Talking it over with Michel last night, we’ve decided that I’ve found my vocation – talking about Susie-Belle – and what nicer way to spend my time!!

Since the book has come out, I’ve been talking both locally and online to a lot of people about puppy farming, it’s been amazing how people have really found the book has brought the reality home to them. Even people who have been vaguely aware of bad breeding practices and consider themselves animal welfare savvy, have been shocked at the scale of the problem and the terrible conditions that breeding dogs in commercial places endure. I feel pleased that the message is filtering out to more people through the book, but sad that there is still this message to share. I hope the suffering soon ends for the thousands of dogs trapped in misery and will keep doing all I can to tell people about it, until it does stop.

One exciting invitation that I’ve accepted is to take part in the inaugural Whitstable Literary Festival in May. It looks an interesting event and Whitstable on the Kent coast is somewhere that we ‘ve been talking about visiting for ages, now we will. The festival runs from 8th to 11th May and I’ll be speaking on Saturday 10th May. Tickets for the event are now on sale and seem to be selling out fast, details are here

I’m rather excited that I’ll be taking part with Pen Farthing, author of One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Helmand and founder of Nowzad a charity dedicated to saving dogs in Afghanistan. Remarkable and inspiring work and I can’t wait to meet Pen and hear him speak.

So, all in all, quite exciting times here which is helping to lift our spirits in what has to be one of the most dismal winters I can remember. We have rain, rain and more rain most days, it is relentless and just up the road from us, serious flooding. Thankfully we are safe and dry where we are, but the extent of the flooding is alarming. I’m rather pleased the book’s release has provided us with a welcome diversion from the gloom.