It’s my first blog post at Allison & Busby, and I’m daunted by the example set before me. How can I possibly contend with such tales of Parmesan pencils, book barges and Mad Hatter parties? And in particular, how am I to top the goblin-ridden farewell post of my predecessor, Georgina?

Well, that would be impossible. I can, however, provide a nice sense of continuity by borrowing (ahem! stealing) Georgina’s idea and injecting some fairytale goodness into my introductory post. And so, ladies and gentleman, I begin a thrilling tale of intrigue, mystery, and of course, books…

Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived in the land of Wales, a green place of freely roaming sheep, crumbling castles and teenage binge drinking. This young girl was afflicted with a saddening curse – a love of reading so great that she was forced to remain with her nose permanently stuck in a book. ‘Woe is me,’ sighed the young girl, ‘for I shall never find anyone who shares such a passion for literature.’

The young girl was proven wrong, however, when she discovered the kingdom of ye olde Cardiff University, a place brimming with similarly bookish types. After three years of grueling battle with an English Literature degree, the young girl travelled on to the great faraway city of London, on a quest to discover more book lovers. There she endured many arduous tasks, including long travels through the haunting realm of ‘the Tube’, where strangers invaded personal space and jabbed her in the face with newspapers held at odd angles.

Finally, she reached the land of Allison & Busby, a haven of words nestled in the heart of London. After a month of fierce war with incorrect grammar, spelling mistakes and endless showcards, aided by the valiant A&B warriors, she was finally rewarded with a gleaming silver key. And so the young girl was finally able to unlock the A&B doors and enter the magical realm of publishing.

And, of course, she lived happily ever after (except on Monday mornings).

THE END

(I promise. No more fairytale allegories…probably.)

Sara Magness, the new Editorial Administrator