The launch is at 6.30pm and there is a post-launch reception at the Hetherington Research Club on University Gardens from 8.30pm. And if you’re thinking, ‘That’s a lot of information to take in, I wish it could be presented in the form of a convenient map,” then good news!

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Charmingly handsome Simon, as I would hope you know, is the author of the excellent These Are Only Words and the forthcoming The First Day, while delightfully rugged Alan Bissett is the author of the acclaimed novels The Incredible Adam Spark and Boyracers (as well as teaching on the Glasgow Creative Writing MLitt and supplying the introduction for last year’s course anthology, Outside of a Dog . . .).

The event is on at 10.15 in the morning, when Simon is sure to be his most handsomely rugged and Alan his most charmingly delightful, so be sure to buy a ticket now, something which you can do online. Until technology progresses further, however, you will have to attend the event in person. Apologies.

Still, a ticket is only £7 (£5 concessions) and I think the Book Festival will serve you wine at 10.15 without looking at you as if you are doing something funny drinking at that time of the morning like some other places do when really what business is it of theirs?

Wow!

Spectacular!

It is a good thing that Stephen can write. I think maybe you should go and see the window display for yourself if you’re around that way – it may be even more impressive in person.

In fact, it’s even more exciting than that, because the event is going to include dramatisations of some scenes from the book, which, seeing as the book is about the theatre-world (and all its cattiness and complications), is very fitting. It may even be meta-fictional, or postmodern. Post-ironic, maybe – we’re looking into it.

Desperately Trying To Make Your Mark?
Thu 07 June 07 07.30 PM to 10.00 PM
Lambs House
Burgess Street (map here)
£4

Go to the Leith Festival website or call the box office on 0845 458 9709 for more details.

Hooray! To celebrate, Stephen’s bravely leapt into the world of tomorrow and set up a MySpace page. It’s still new, but if you ever wondered how the author of Toy Soldiers and Missing Joe feels about Spurs and MTV Base, there is finally a place on the internet for you. The poor lad needs some friends now though, so get over there and add him.

And there’s also an interview with Stephen that ran in the Edinburgh Evening News the other day that you can go and read. It includes the revelation that Stephen ‘loved’ rehab. This is not a good example to set for the kids, Stephen.

If you want information about our current and forthcoming titles that’s no problem at all. If you’re an author interested in submitting to CHROMA then we’d be delighted to hear from you. If you’re just browsing you might be interested to see our lovely microsites for These Are Only Words, The Last Book You Read and Psychoraag.

And there is something we’re particularly excited about. Psychoraag, the award-winning novel by Suhayl Saadi (winner of a Pen Oakland-Josephine Miles Literary Award, shortlisted for the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and one of The List’s 100 Best Scottish Books of All Time) is available in full as a free download. We’re really glad to be able to do this with Suhayl and we hope that you’ll go and give it a read (feel free to tell other people about it too). We’re anticipating some surprise to the decision to give it away like this so, if you’re interested, we’ve tried to explain why.

And that’s it. We hope you like the site. Oh, and any problems, questions, comments, anything, please do get in touch.

Written with charming, blokey candour and reminiscent of such novels as “High Fidelity” and “Starter for Ten”, it perfectly encapsulates the ambitious and catty world of British theatre…

Thank you, Waterstone’s!

The humour and perseverance are propelled along by some very witty dialogue…

Oh hush, newbooks – you are too kind.