a long silence

Gosh, it's been a long long time since I blogged! That's not a blog, it's a fact. Well, I have been writing, but new challenges (I've just become a father) and new distractions (I've started work on another novel) have really kept me away from the whole social thing. Also, my new novel comes out on June 4 so I've been trying to coordinate things for that. Regardless, I hope you'll stick with me during this long silence because when I come back - unlike Dr Dre - I'll keep your fire alarms ringing :)

Good stuff this week?

1. Been listening to Duke Ellington's Black - Brown and Beige, The Roots' - Things Fall Apart, Robert Cray's - shame + a sin, and Vanessa Carlton's - Be Not Nobody
2. Finished edits on a collection of poetry by Roger Robinson
3. Found out I will have work in the special 25th anniversary edition of Wasafiri magazine
4. Did the laundry :)
5. Cleared out a whole box of paperwork so the missus can walk around the house easier!

Bad stuff?

1. Taxes - I think I'm being overcharged, can't afford to pay any more than I already have, but I can't reach the tax payment office; their phones are constantly busy
2. Broke is on the horizon and I just spotted it - that means I have to do more teach-work and less write-work.... arrrgh!
3. Had to be separated from my daughter for a couple of days
   
4. I ran out of palm oil :)
5. Hey, life isn't that bad so the list has to be shorter than the good stuff list, right?
   

So, make sure you preorder my book - all the links below - and I'll blog again very soon...

Tail of the Blue Bird by Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/d64xs9 | Waterstones: http://tinyurl.com/aqcbbm | WHSmith: http://tinyurl.com/agqs75 | Random House: http://tinyurl.com/bcuu27

Nominations galore

So, some of you will know that I am an editor as well as a writer - and I'm pleased to let the world know that I have been longlisted for the UK Young Publishing Entrepreneur award run by the British Council. It's a recognition of all my sleepless nights as an editor so I'm very very proud and to add to that the company, flipped eye publishing, is trying to rack up nominations for the Mashable Open Web Awards in the niche category for our online translation wiki, lexicon [ www.flippedeye.net/lexicon ] please add your nomination below - thanks!

In other news, I have a reading [mainly poetry] in London on November 13 at Lauderdale House, Highgate Hill, Waterlow Park from 8pm. Please come and support.
Event details are also on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events.php?ref=sb#/event.php?eid=27331766247





I think that's it for now - a real blog to come soon. So much has happened in the world!!