Hard to believe The Ambulance Box was officially published a year ago today. A lot has happened in that time, personally and professionally. I’ve met some great people virtually and face to face, outsold Keats, been shortlisted for a significant poetry book prize, reviewed here and there and delighted to have seen the collection chosen as a book of the year. I’ve read in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, St Andrews, Linlithgow and London. I’ve been podcast, toured blogs and been interviewed via Skype.

What does this year hold for me and the book, I wonder? The paperback came out in January. Reviews are still popping up, such as this one from Markings the lovely one half way down this post from Vicky MacDonald Harris. I don’t have many readings lined up this year, but I will be tutoring an online course for the Poetry School in the autumn (more of that at the appropriate time). I’m still writing, though there had been nothing for almost four months until last week.

Life has, truth be told, been something of a struggle over the past eight or nine months. It’s far from easy to balance the demands of writing, book promotion and developing work as a creative writing tutor with the needs of a young family and the demands of four days a week in employment. I’m happy to say that some things are getting easier now, but the tensions always exist and I’m not necessarily good at striking the correct balance. If anyone out there has a magic formula keep it to yourself because I won’t believe you! If anyone has some good advice, I’ll very gladly listen …