It has been a bit busy in Bristol.

Last night I was at Foyles for the launch of tqwo books by Rebecca Lloyd: Mercy, and The View from Endless Street. I’ve talked a bit about these already, as I had Becca on the radio show, so all I’ll add is to say that Becca read a lovely story from Mercy in which no one tried to kill anyone. Well, some of the bears might have tried to kill some one of the humans, but it is so hard to tell with bears. They might just have been being friendly.

At lunch time today Joe Abercrombie was in Waterstones with his first YA novel, Half a King. It wasn’t much of an event: just Joe sat at a table signing books for a long queue of people. Then again, he’s on tour. Two stores a day is not unusual these days. Touring is no fun. Still, Joe did pose for me to take this picture of him with Pat Hawkes-Reed who, as is her wont, had brought him cake. Somehow this is all Sarah Pinborough’s fault.

Finally Gareth L. Powell’s younger brother, Huw, had a launch event back at Foyles. This was for Spacejackers, which is a middle grade novel about space pirates. From the bits that he read, it is a bit breathless, but that’s what kids of that age like. Huw has been busy working with schools and reading promotion charities. I’ll try to get him on the show in August to tell us more.

One of the women in the audience challenged Huw over whether his book was only marketed at boys. He noted two prominent female characters — one a sidekick of the hero and one a starship captain. That’s good to know given that Waterstones’ science fiction promotion table currently doesn’t have a single book by a woman on it, out of 35 different books. Gareth’s daughters seemed to be keen to read the book.

I note that Huw had some of the best looking cake I have seen at a book launch in a long time. Apparently his wife, Beata, made this. I am seriously impressed.