Deliver some Inside Notting Hill books to WH Smith, drop in on Waterstones and then go and see Sophie in the new Persephone bookshop. Very nice chat and she is going to order both Notting Hill and Halfway to Venus. A very nice shop with books published by Persephone along one wall and hand-picked titles in the rest of the shop. Small but enticing. Guardian Unlimited want me to do my top ten books in a certain category – I’ve chosen one but will keep quiet about it until its published … In the afternoon I’m in Kensington Church Street on a 52 bus on the way to see the Cranach exhibition when my mobile rings and it is Susie from the Mail who wants to see a finished copy of the book. I am almost at the Mail building so I jump off the bus and go and deliver the book in person! She rings later to say that its NOT going to be tomorrow – I’m trying to be very Buddhist about all of this. Go in to both Hatchards (who hadn’t ordered it – I thought they had – but now they will) and Waterstones who definitely have.