I’ve been doing a few bits of writing, some for work and some for fun, which I’ll post about in a minute. But first, here’s a spotlight post the all-too-kind Claire Trévien wrote on me. Claire is a fantastic poet and friend, and has just released her first pamphlet, Low-Tide Lottery, which I can’t recommend enough. Go buy it.

Other things – Here’s an article I wrote for IdeasTap on creative writing MAs, on what makes them worthwhile and how to make the most of them: Writing MAs: Are They Worth It? I want to write more on this subject, so watch this space.

Next, a review at Strange Horizons of SL Grey’s The Mall. I had some problems with it, but it’s gruesome fun if you like quirky horror, and it’s great to see more South African genre fiction out in the world.

I also have a new story, entitled ‘Four Pairs of Marco Polo’, upcoming in Verge, an anthology of writing produced as a joint project between Warwick and Monash University in Melbourne.

And on to personal projects – I’m reviving The Streets of Bangkok for July and August, as I’m spending the best part of those months in Thailand. I’m working on a post about Amphawa, an amazing day-trippable town in one of the Southern provinces, and planning a new walking tour, so check back in the coming week for those.

What I’m mostly doing in Bangkok at the moment is running around the locations that feature in the as-yet-unnamed novel, researching bits of local history, and finding time to work on the actual writing. Over on my livejournal I’m doing daily experimental pieces of writing about the city, as warm-ups for the chapters I’m working on.

Plus a reminder that you can now buy copies of The Draft, which features my story ‘Mr Wei Takes the Train’ (an early version of a story that has now become part of the novel). All profits go towards helping next year’s MA students get their own anthology off the ground.

Oh, and I’m on google+, come say hi!