Chiswick Book Festival - how could I have missed it?

September is one of those months where the balance between my work life and my domestic life always teeters on a knife edge. It is something to do with being inundated with post-holiday catch up and returns to school and university, made all the worse this year by it being the Olympic and Paralympic national hangover season. So I am used to missing birthdays and deadlines for special offers in September, but that is no excuse for missing the Chiswick Book Festival. It took place last weekend and I am kicking myself for not going as it is an intensely local and intimate affair (unlike the much larger, longer and geographically more widespread Richmond Literature Festival).

Reports from friends who attended were that it was an excellent affair. A N Wilson spoke engagingly about his book about Wedgwood, The Potter's Hand - and why I weep for Wedgwood. There was a full house and a good Q&A session for military historian Antony Beevor who presented on his mighty book The Second World War. And it was standing room only for our new national treasure and local hero, Clare Balding, who was interviewed by India Knight. I notice that Anne Sebba also took part, speaking about That Woman (see That Woman for the book group's views) and I would have been tempted by a talk by Michael Palin in Chiswick House (one of my all time favourite locations and a real gem of a house).

Clearly, a touch of diary management is needed to make sure I don't miss it next year.