Books By The Beach – Scarborough

Books By The Beach – Scarborough

On a glorious summer Saturday we drive from our part of East Yorkshire to Scarborough in North Yorkshire for one of our very favourite book festivals. Books By The Beach is always such fun because it reflects the personality of it’s driving force – Heather...
Newsletter: Spring 2023

Newsletter: Spring 2023

The next Mangan novel (the third in the series) is to be published in Spring 2024. I’ve written 70,000 words with another 10,000 to go, so it could have just about been ready for a September 2023 launch but my publisher (Wildfire) sensibly decided to leave more time...
10th Anniversary of Alan’s first memoir, This Boy.

10th Anniversary of Alan’s first memoir, This Boy.

After the electorate had dispensed with our services in 2010, Labour went into opposition and I was no longer Home Secretary. I’d been a government minister for eleven years and now had some spare time where ministerial duties used to be. There was interest in an Alan...
The Attlee’s and The Archers For me

The Attlee’s and The Archers For me

 The Attlee’s and The Archers For me, there is something about physical books that no alternative can match; the feel, the smell, the ability to easily turn back (if you’ve lost concentration) or forward (if you can’t resist knowing how it ends). But other formats are...
The Borrowers

The Borrowers

Authors always keep a careful eye on book sales but around this time of year we receive news about how our books are faring in libraries across the UK. The Public Lending Right (PLR) monitor the statistics (via the British Library) and authors receive a small payment...
Alan at Broadcasting House

Alan at Broadcasting House

Alan at New Broadcasting House with Evan Davies who presents the popular BBC R4 series ‘Bottom Line’ covering business issues. This week Alan will be discussing strikes with Evan along with Susanna Newing from Coventry City Council (in front of Alan in the photo) and...