It's been a while since I've blogged but my poetry publication and successes have been a bit like buses – none and then they all come along at the same time!

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It's been a good fortnight for me after learnng my In Search of a Medic selection of poems were shortlisted in the Templar Poetry Pamphlet and Collection Competition 2009. Two of the poems are now set to be included in the contest anthology to be launched at the Derwent Poetry Festival in October. (Watch out baby-sitters as it's a great excuse too for a child-free weekend!)

Then I heard that one of my poems had been highly commended and another won a mention (shortlisted) in the Northampton Literature Groups annual open poetry competition.

With my fiction hat on, I've been busy reading a short extract from my short story Monday from Remarkable Everyday (Legend Press) to be used by BBC Hereford and Worcester (104FM, 94.7FM) on the Tony Fisher show (from 9am to noon), hopefully tomorrow or Monday morning. (I'm still shaking with nerves now eighteen hours after recording it!)

As well as reading, I've also been listening and enjoyed a fantastic evening reading by Carol Ann Duffy in a Worcester pub earlier this month. I've also been editing and finally finished printing the latest “anthology” of work by children on the poetry workshops I ran last half-term at my son's first school.

But just to prove the luck hasn't all gone my way lately, I seem to have developed (atishoo!) h...h...hayfever (atishoo!) and both my boys have caught conjunctivitis – joy of joys! Still, even that hasn't dampened their energy. Nor mine as I'm off to one of the Making Poetry Workshops (led by Jacqui Rowe and Meredith Andrea) in Birmingham on Saturday. Then, there's my younger son's birthday and my husband's annual work ball to get ready for. That ought to occupy at least a week before I settle down for the long wait until the next poetry buses!