In Bed With

May I proudly introduce my latest venture: the wicked temptress of a book which is In Bed With. The UK edition was published yesterday (January 22nd), amid something of a media maelstrom. Hurrah!

In Bed With is an outrageously sexy collection of filthy stories written by 20 very well-known women novelists (see full list below), all writing under our X-rated name: first pet and first street you lived on. Or something similar.

Everyone in my family would have instantly recognised the name ‘Ringo’ as the baby bird which the gardener rescued for the 3 year old me (and which died the same day…), so I had to be inventive. And no, I am not telling.

This brilliant anthology was the idea of my very great friend Jessica Adams, who roped in me, Kathy Lette and Imogen Edwards-Jones as her co0editors. We have had the most hilarious time pulling it together, with three years of emails zapping round the world – and a few essential face to face meetings at The Wolseley - to make it happen.

It was really hard work actually, but so worth it. The day Fay Weldon said yes, closely followed by Joanne Harris, Ali Smith and Esther Freud, we knew we had something special on our hands.

And it really is. Apart from the fun of trying to guess who wrote what – and all our lips are sealed – the stories are the most wonderful mix of styles and genres. Then there is the added attraction that In Bed With could certainly help a cold dark credit crunch night pass more excitingly… if you get my drift. With or without company.

In Bed With contributors:

Adele Parks
Ali Smith
Bella Pollen
Chris Manby
Daisy Waugh
Emma Darwin
Esther Freud
Fay Weldon
Imogen Edwards-Jones
Jane Moore
Jessica Adams
Joan Smith
Joanne Harris
Justine Picardie
Kathy Lette
Louise Doughty
Maggie Alderson
Rachel Johnson
Santa Montefiore
Stella Duffy

Published by Sphere, £7.99

'A book that has the literary world abuzz with excitement, causing a frisson of electricity to pass through the corridors of the country's publishing houses.'
The Daily Telegraph

'Your favourite female authors...as you've never read them before...the literary world is in for a shock'
Good Housekeeping

'How a group of Britain's female writers are making erotic fiction cool...a steamy new short-story collection'
Harpers Bazaar

`In the past several women have given themselves pseudonyms to write naughty books such as Petite Anglaise, The Bride Striped Bare and Belle de Jour, which was turned into a TV series with Billie Piper. But they were by unknowns. Here, the authors have no need to make a mark. '
The Times

A new book of erotic fiction will trigger a juicy literary guessing game after a gaggle of female writers were invited to contribute risque stories under pseudonyms.
The Daily Mail