I do still exist, honest....

This year has been one of lengthy absences in the world of Stuck-in-a-Book, and for that I once more apologise. Moving to a Real Grown Up House comes with such things as having to set up Real Grown Up Internet, and Virgin are currently reluctant to provide this with any agility. Thus I am currently at my desk, with little to do, and free to fill you in on the week's events!


I have spent my week in, around and under these buildings - most of the ones through the centre of the picture are in fact linked by underground passages. Most of my days have been in the Stack, which is the name for the books stored underground, and it has been a largely enjoyable activity. Though fetching books and returning them isn't on par with neurophysics (is that a thing?) for brain stimulation, the fact that I am dealing with beautiful books, by and large, adds such a lot to the process. And now I am going to make you green with envy. Wait for it.

On Thursday I held a letter written by Jane Austen. Let's put that in caps - JANE AUSTEN. Perhaps bold? Jane Austen. So exciting - it was her actual handwriting, and she had held that piece of paper... Alongside this, did the same for letters by CS Lewis, Hitler's wedding certificate, Kenneth Grahame's handwritten version of The Wind in the Willows, a letter by Robert Burns apologising for being drunk, and asking to avert a duel... all sorts down there. Had the less considerable pleasure of sorting journals such as 'Insurance and Short Wars'.

Will hopefully be back blogging properly by the 18th, but until then will be rather sporadic at best. Will just end by noting another important day - Clare Wigfall's excellent collection of short stories, The Loudest Sound and Nothing, is now available in the UK, and apparently Amazon are doing a deal on it. I blogged about it here, and now you can buy it - go do so!