Susie, Author at Allison & Busby

Prepare for Halloween

14 October, 2009

According to Tesco, it’s already Christmas. I was in there yesterday and noticed they’ve already started putting out advent calendars. Is there really a demand for Christmas stuff two months in advance?? I thought it was customary to atleast wait until after Halloween. One festivity (pagan or otherwise) at a time please! So please, readers, […]

The BBC Panorama v Ryanair cat-fight

13 October, 2009

Last night I caught the last half of BBC Panorama’s exposé on Ryanair Why Hate Ryanair? – which basically slams the airline for its hidden charges and Michael O’Leary’s cost-cutting approach to business. Today, Ryanair has responded by giving away 1.1Million free seats to represent the 11 lies featured in the programme. Nice comeback. (Hey […]

Proof that there’s always a silver lining…

12 October, 2009

Nick Barley has now been announced as the new Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, with immediate effect. There’s a nice interview with him in The Times today which tells you a bit about his background and his vision for the future of the festival. Nick’s future is bright, yet it’s interesting to read […]

Inflight movie reviews

8 October, 2009

I’m now back from my holiday in Oz and can attest to the fact that a return flight London- Abu Dhabi-Sydney will see you clocking up a total of 42 hours of actual flight time. That’s a lot of hours. And a lot of pressure on the inflight entertainment. Luckily, I had an array of old and new […]

Blog posting hiatus

7 October, 2009

Where was our blog posting on Monday? And what about Tuesday?? And today? Delayed flights and viruses have caused a temporary lull in the blog postings. I know it’s been long and empty wait. Must feel something like this… I’ll be back tomorrow I promise. Chiara Priorelli, Publicity Manager

Is this Molly’s car??

30 September, 2009

The heroine in one of our books, Molly’s Millions, is a florist who loves yellow gerberas and drives a yellow WV Beetle. Do you think this creation was inspired by the book?? Ok, so it’s actually a Chevrolet Matiz, not a Beetle but let’s not pick at details…Click here and scroll through the pictures for […]

Prints by Mick Wiggins

28 September, 2009

Christina (our Art Editor) currently has this image saved on her desktop and when I spotted it, I decided it would look very nice as a print in my living room. I asked her where she found the image and as it turns out, the illustrator happens to be Mick Wiggins, the man who did the artwork […]

Another recommendation from Oz

24 September, 2009

My favourite restaurant in Sydney has got to be the Doyles in Watson Bay – a well-known but unpretentious restaurant perched next to a lovely little suburban beach, from where you have a lovely view of the Harbour Bridge in the distance as you tuck into fresh seafood. I can’t say I have explored much the menu – simpy because […]

Liking this new Etihad airline

22 September, 2009

A blog from Down Under. Yes, I’m writing this from Sydney, Australia (and before you ask yourself what in God’s name I am doing on a computer when I am in this gorgeous city and on holiday – the answer is: jet lag. It’s 5am and options are limited. It’s either whiling away time on […]

Thoughts on The Shawshank Redemption play

21 September, 2009

In my blog post a few blogs ago, I said I was going to see Shawshank Redemption at the theatre. Well, I saw it, and it did not disappoint. I was worried that I would simply be seeing the film replicated on stage (and a poorer version at that) but I was very impressed with […]

How will The Shawshank Redemption suit the stage?

15 September, 2009

The Shawshank Redemption is my all-time favourite movie. I have watched it countless times. I have read the novella it is based on by Stephen King – called Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and to be found in the collection Different Seasons. I have bought the original screenplay which is interesting since (unlike many screenplays you buy […]

Mixed emotions watching 9/11 documentary

11 September, 2009

It’s been eight years to this day since the horrific events of 9/11. In the run up to this tragic anniversary Channel 4 have been running several documentaries to mark and remember that fateful day and I caught the middle of 9/11 – Phone Calls from the Towers. Listening to the voices of those trapped in […]

A £1million laughing matter…

10 September, 2009

News has it that Penguin (Michael Joseph) has signed up an autobiographical book by Michael McIntyre – the man of the moment in the UK comedy circles. Personally I think he’s hilarious. I saw him live at The Lyric in Hammersmith (before he hit stardom), I bought the DVD Live and Laughing and I series-linked […]

What would the Land Girls say about Land Girls?

8 September, 2009

Those of you that have followed our blog over the past months will remember us telling you about the flurry of calls we got from people wanting to order a copy of Muddy Boots and Silk Stockings – about the Land Girls. No doubt many of them will also be watching the new period drama […]

The thrill of the ride!

7 September, 2009

This Sunday I had the pleasure of trying wakeboarding at The Princes Club for the first time. No, sorry I lie. I went knee boarding – the beginners version. For anyone who doesn’t know what this is, it involves you grabbing hold of a rope attached to a fast-moving cable (and when I say fast, […]

The Curzon Group v Dan Brown…

3 September, 2009

Anyone who’s a bit tired of the Dan Brown hoopla (count me in) will enjoy this… Love the butter. Any other DB inspired titles/themes you can think of? Chiara Priorelli, Publicity Manager

Amateur running tips…

1 September, 2009

Lately, I have taken up running again. Mainly, I’ll admit, because my boyfriend has been training for 10k races and my competitive side feels the need to prove I am equally as fit. (I’m ignoring the fact that Reality is laughing in my competitive ego’s face.) Anyway, I knew I would need three things to […]

Online PR faux pas

27 August, 2009

Considering I’m a a relative newby in terms of exploring the realms of online PR, it’s a comfort to know there are others who don’t always have it down pat either. I came across this interesting article – click here – which I intend to study meticulously… Why learn the hard way through your own […]

Killer narrators…

26 August, 2009

There are hundreds of thousands of crime/thriller/mystery books in the world with murderous goings on (many of which we publish I might add…) but how many of these books are actually narrated by the killers themselves? Well, Richard Jay Parker has come up with a few of his favourites here on Flashlight Worthy. It’s a […]

The Brixton Bard and another Tap Natch Poet

24 August, 2009

Whilst most writers give talks at bookshops and libraries, Brixton-born Jamaican writer Alex Wheatle (acclaimed author of the cult classic Brixton Rock and the more recent Island Songs) is a regular speaker at schools and prisons. Inspiring young offenders and students with his background and story and encouraging them to read books and express themselves […]

A tribute to Catherine Lockerbie and the Authors’ Yurt.

20 August, 2009

The Edinburgh International Book Festival is well underway now. I’ve been lucky enough, not only to have attended several times in the past, but to have a) had the pleasure of meeting the woman behind the success of this world-class event, Catherine Lockerbie (pictured) and b) had the honour, whilst accompanying an author, of being […]