November 2010

Hi there

Hope you're enjoying the icy mornings and the chance to snuggle under the duvet with a good book. So nice to sink into a 12 tog London winter, don't you think? No more bare legs to worry about! No more bikinis, and Christmas around the corner with all its eating and drinking opportunities! The legacy of which can be hidden under layers of wooly things. Win win.

I'm also well into my sixth book - never imagined I'd write that - and hugely enjoying it. Headline, my publisher, are putting final touches to the cover of It Happened One Summer (which happens in April 2011) and as soon as it's done I'll stick it up on the site.

My brood - now aged 7, 3, and almost 2 - are still the most enticing distractions from writing and get bigger, louder and more opinionated by the week.

Other distraction? Jonathan Franzen's brilliant new novel, Freedom. You can hear me guffawing from space.

Best wishes,

Polly xx

A good summer

Hi there!

A whole summer gone by in a blink! Finished one book, It Happened One Summer, which is out next spring and, er, not quite started a new one. But gestating.

Still counting the cost of our summer holiday with three kids. It goes something like this. In the course of three weeks my formidable brood achieved...

Four stitches to back of the head, one sliced-in-a-door finger, the loss of one pair shoes, three hats, two spades, sunglasses and countless Euro coins swiped from my purse. Also managed to break a couple of plates and glasses at the holiday rental, obviously. Good going!

We came back to find that our nanny - essential for me to do any writing at all - is stuck in Brazil until Christmas...

But apart from that a wonderful summer. I hope you had a good one too.

All the best,

Polly xxx

Hello there!

I've emerged from dark, mole-like experience of writing my book into wonderful sunshine! Nothing like writing 'The End' after a year's work to raise the spirits.

Although, after the last few mad weeks to meet my deadline the rest of my life sits in chaotic piles of unopened post on my desk. My legs are January coloured, I'm in need of sandals - the sales already, all the size 38s gone! - and it's as if I'm a few months behind everyone else, lumbering up for spring in June.

Oh well. Ice creams and summer shopping to catch up on. Life could be worse.

I hope you enjoyed my last book, How To Be Married, and that you're having a wonderful summer.

Best wishes, Polly xxx

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!

Ate too many chocolate eggs again - saving my toddler from the sugar rush, obviously - and now waddling into spring, one minute wearing Polar explorer gear, the next flip flops. Oh for proper sun. It's been a long, cold winter, no?

My novel, How To Be Married is still out there on the shelves so do pick it up and have a look. Or you can check out some of my journalism - Sunday Times, You, Red, Grazia - with a quick Google online.

I'm putting myself on a strict Net diet as I'm trying to finish the new novel - the temptations of Twitter etc are rather distracting and I need to be busy scribing away, lost in a fug of coffee, biscuits and word counts until I write, 'The End.'

In the meantime keep reading! Buy some nice new sandals and enjoy the spring.

Best wishes,

Polly xxx

How To Be Married out now!

How To Be Married reviewed...

The Saturday Telegraph

‘Offers an interpretation of what makes a marriage work that is refreshingly suggestion free...The first-person narrative fizzes with life and Polly Williams gives Sadie some brilliant one-liners...but there's pathos, too…’

Glamour

‘Williams offers a sharp and witty insight into one of the biggest modern marriage dilemmas – status anxiety’


Woman

‘A wry look at modern marriage’



So what's it about? Well, it takes a peek beneath the shuttered blinds of the modern metropolitan marriage. It's about those wives, not wholly unlike me, who don't quite make the grade in the trad sense. The ones who come out in hives at the idea of knitting, the ones who are far more likely to lose their husband's socks than pair them, or make sock puppets out of them. (I have a v impressive friend who does this. Really.)


And if you fancy 15% off your spring/summer threads at Coast and a chance to win a spa break and Coast vouchers (what's not to love?) just push the magic Coast button next to the book jacket.

Happy reading! And happy shopping.

Best wishes,

Polly xx

How To Be Married published today!

My new novel How To Be Married is published today!

So what’s it about? In a nutshell, How To Be Married takes a peek beneath the shuttered blinds of the modern metropolitan marriage. It’s about wives, a bit like me, who don’t quite make the grade in the trad sense. You know the ones who come out in hives at the idea of knitting, and would rather pull out their own teeth with a nut cracker than get involved in competitive cupcake baking? Women who are far more likely to lose their husband’s socks than pair them, let alone turn them into sock puppets for the children. (An impressive friend of mine actually does this.) Anyway, it’s about that wife. And love, sex, and the power of good underwear to make husbands happy.

Another bonus is that if you buy my book you’ll get 15% off at that lovely shop Coast so you can stock up on all your new threads now that spring has sprung. There is also a rather fab competition to win £500 at Coast and a spa break. What’s not to love? Just press the coast button next to the book jacket on pollywilliams.com. Good luck!

Happy reading! And happy shopping too.


Best wishes,

Polly xxx

Running in unflattering trousers

The publication of my new book, How To Be Married, is almost upon us! It's in all good bookshops, March 4th. Please read it and let me know what you think, but only if you love it, obviously.

I find the publication of a new novel terrifying - will anyone buy it? Like it? - so partly to keep my mind off the whole business I've started running. Last week I was overtaken by a toddler and he wasn't even on a scooter so things can only improve. But I'm looking forward to shifting a few pounds, lifting bottom, feeling less fuzzy headed, speeding up my daily word count etc. Hmmm. Some way to go, obviously.

Am not the first to observe this - Huruki Murukami got there first - but there are many parallels between running and writing. The idea of going running, especially in foul winter weather - see outside - is usually far worse than the reality. Much the same with starting a novel, or even a day's writing when the micro-climate in your head is cloudy, with strong south easterly winds and rain expected later. It's the first few steps that are real killers, and then gradually, painfully you get into your stride, and before you know it you've done a circuit of the park or 1000 words. Personally I much prefer writing. At least you don't have to wear unflattering running trousers to write. (Mine are bad, really bad.) No one can see you either. Very important that, especially when you're beaten by a toddler.

Hope you're keeping well.

Best wishes, Polly xxx

Januaryitus

Snow thawed the moment I decided I needed a New York style winter wardrobe, and now there is absolutely no excuse not to do any work, nor to go and hunt down a trapper hat on Bond Street. Really miss the white stuff. London so much prettier blanketed, muted and chilly. Am wondering whether really this all means I should move to... Canada! Imagine, no horrid Tube! No houses all squashed tight as teeth into street! All that room for kids to play wholesomely outside! And all those fur-lined boots...Sigh.

Yes, as you can see I'm suffering from bad bout of Januaryitus. Will report back soon on a higher note, possibly from Toronto.

Happy new year!

Best, Polly