Back to reality

Where's Miles? How am I supposed to get anywhere without him? Oh, that's right, I don't have a car and personal driver with a CAP in my real life. That's only part of Book Tour World, along with other people picking up my towels, making my bed and washing my pants. Oh well.

Here are some wonderful things I encountered while I was back in my beloved Australia for the tour.

1. Aussie lady writersTwo of my favourite , pictured above, at a lovely drinks party hosted by my bezzie mate and publisher Julie Gibbs. Left to right Lee Tulloch, Marion von Adlerstein, Julie and moi. My great pal Robert Rosen - Mr Snaparazzi - took the shot.

2 Coin-operated hair straighteners in public loos
Image is everything in Sydney and to make sure you never have to worry about your hair getting a little bit mussed up - it can be a bastard on those humid February days - a company called Glide puts coin-operated hair irons in the loos of night clubs and bars. Brilliant.

3. No Starbucks in Melbourne
I am reliably informed that all the branches of Starpukes that opened in Melbourne closed down because no one there would drink such foul coffee. Australian coffee is the best in the world - better than Italy. Trust me on this. They use weird UHT (Ultra Horrible Turtle milk) in Italy. In Australia you get the perfect roast on the bean, highly-trained baristas and delicious milk. And the right vessel for each style of coffee. I loathe the tankards you get for lattes in the UK. They should come in medium-sized Duralex glasses.

4. Hako Japanese restaurant
This is some of the best Japanese food I have ever eaten in a very groovy Shoreditch style interior. Perfection. 310 Flinders Lane. 03 9620 1881.

Brisbane

I'm staying at The Limes - a boutique 'design' hotel so cool they don't do anything as mundane as serve breakfast. Instead they provide a proper kettle and mugs, a jug of real milk in the fridge and a top selection of teas and coffees - and a list of Brisbane's best breakfast cafes.

At first I was outraged - I WANT MY ROOM SERVICE!!! - but I'm converted. Loved walking to Cafe Cirque this morning, where I had avocado, tomato and basil on toast. Yum.

I am slightly stressed about my first live event tonight (see details below...), but will be boosted by wearing my new Easton Pearson top. As I am in the label's home town - I'm having dinner with the designers Lydia and Pam tonight - I am going to declare that I'm wearing Local Costume. Also going to their flagship store today, swoon, thrill, pant. Yes, I am very very shallow.

And continuing the theme of smallworld.com from my last post - the absolutely delightful young man on the front desk at the hotel here, turns out to be Lydia Pearson's son, Felix.

This is where I will be tonight:
BRISBANE - Monday 27th October, 6:15pm to 8:pm
Talk about the book, Q&A and signing.
MARY RYAN BOOKSTORE 40 Park Road, Milton.

It would be lovely to see you.

Maggie x

Rest of tour:
SYDNEY - Tuesday 28th October, 12.30 to 1.30pm
DYMOCKS George Street, CBD
Now this will be funny. This one is actually about In Bed With - the anthology of absolutely FILTHY short stories that I have co-edited with my best writer gal pals Kathy Lette, Jessica Adam and Imogen Edwards-Jones.Kathy, Jessica and I will be in store - along with some lingerie models who I will be trying very hard not to stand next to - and some of the contributors, including my old colleague Emma Tom.

MELBOURNE - Thursday October 30th, 6:30pm to 8pm
Talk about How To Break Your Own Heart, followed by Q & A and signing.
READINGS BOOKSTORE 701 Glenferrie Road,Hawthorn

SYDNEY - Friday October 31st, 1pm to 2pm
Talk about How To Break Your Own Heart, Q & A, signing.
CONSTANT READER BOOKSTORE EVENT Stanton Library, 234 Miller St, Crows Nest.

It's Friday - so it must be Sydney

Why, oh why, did I bring two pairs of jeans but no actual trousers? Why didn't I bring any leggings or tights? Why did I bring three pairs of open shoes and no proper shoes apart from drag queen heels and trainers?

It's the usual story. I packed in a big rush and have so many flowery skirts and cotton cardigans qith me I can't decide which ones to wear on warm afternoons with a cheeky hint of a Harbour breeze. Any other kind of weather and I will be done for. And it was snowing in the Blue Mountains this week, so Margie Blok tells me.

So I have been shopping... I had to and it was such bliss. I find shopping in London quite hard work and it's all so compact and easy here by comparison. I got a top haul.

As well my standard Sydney shopping list (MIMCO hat, Louise Mitchell nightie, Bay Tree cotton pique shower cap...) I found one of my fashion Holy Grails: a lovely feminine summer dress in a red and white print cotton, that actually fits and doesn't make me feel like Hattie Jacques, or Margot Leadbetter.

It was worth coming to the other side of the world to find it, but when I looked it said label it is from London. So where the hell was it when I was ransacking the West End for dresses this summer?

That's definitely coming with me when I go to Brisbane in the morning to gear up for my live appearance at the Mary Ryan book shop on Monday night(see details below). Also seeing my old mates Jerry and Michelle Harris. Jerry was my publisher when I was editor of British ELLE, then when I came to Sydney to be acting editor of CLEO, his wife Michelle was my advertising director = smallworld.com.

Also looking forward to dinner with Pam Easton and Lydia Pearson, designers of the wonderful fashion label Easton Pearson, who live in Brizzy. I will be wearing the tobacco brown silk top I bought in their Sydney shop today. Sadly not the unutterably beautiful black linen dress in there which it took maximum will power not to buy. It made me feel like an intellectual, but would have rendered me a bankrupt.

See previous post for the details of my live appearances on this book tour.

Maggie x

ps Did I mention I have not one, but TWO new books out? Will tell more about the other book on my next posting.

pps It's absolute FILTH.

Australian Book Tour October 2008

Tuesday
I can't believe I am leaving for Sydney tomorrow.

I am so not packed, I have no nice clothes, but I did manage to do a supermarket sweep on Top Shop and buy two pairs of wild shoes this morning.

Anyway, enought of that chit chat, here is where I will be in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne next week, talking about my new novel How To Break Your Own Heart.

It would be great to meet you. Please come.

BRISBANE - Monday 27th October, 6:15pm to 8:pm
Talk about the book, Q&A and signing.
MARY RYAN BOOKSTORE
40 Park Road, Milton

SYDNEY - Tuesday 28th October, 12.30 to 1.30pm
DYMOCKS
George Street, CBD
Now this will be funny. This one is actually about In Bed With - the anthology of absolutely FILTHY short stories that I have co-edited with my best writer gal pals Kathy Lette, Jessica Adam and Imogen Edwards-Jones.

Kathy, Jessica and I will be in store - along with some lingerie models who I will be trying very hard not to stand next to - and some of the contributors, including my old colleague Emma Tom.

MELBOURNE - Thursday October 30th, 6:30pm to 8pm
Talk about How To Break Your Own Heart, followed by Q & A and signing.
READINGS BOOKSTORE
701 Glenferrie Road,Hawthorn

SYDNEY - Friday October 31st, 1pm to 2pm
Talk about How To Break Your Own Heart, Q & A, signing.
CONSTANT READER BOOKSTORE EVENT
Stanton Library, 234 Miller St, Crows Nest.

Hope to meet you at one of them.

Maggie x

PS Did I mention that I have a new book out?

Website under construction

Testing testing one two three. One two. One two. Can you hear me at the back?

Apologies if you have been led here under false pretences, but I am just setting this up so I can attach it to my website. Then I will be able to go live with this and I hope you will visit again.

love

Maggie x