Kill Swap has just been long-listed for the 2008 Manchester Book Award, which according to the web site is “a reader development initiative for young people. Run by Manchester Library and Information Service, it involves young people across the city, creatively encouraging them to read and talk about books to promote literacy and a passion for reading.” The long list contains 24 titles, which will be whittled down to 6 sometime in January. It’s lovely to be nominated, and fingers crossed the book might even make it to the short list, although the competition seems strong to me. I’m pleased too for Barrington Stoke, as it’s great publicity for the imprint.

Meanwhile Cinema Macabre, the nonfiction anthology from PS Publishing of which I am one contributor, has just won a British Fantasy Award. Congratulations to Mark Morris, the editor, and to all the other contributors and, why the hell not, to myself as well. It’s a great book (I have a copy in the downstairs loo, for dipping into — the book, I mean, not the loo) and perhaps now those rumours of a possible mainstream edition are even more likely to become fact.

All that and we have spanking new carpet in most of the house, to replace the manky and rather suspiciously stained old carpet. Joy!