It's Writers Without Borders 10th Anerversary this year and the planning for a celebratory event's begun. It will most likely be as part of the Birmingham Book Festival in October. We're hoping to get an audience of 250-300 which means our usual venue - the Library Theatre - will be too small. We went to look at South Birmingham College's performance space in Digbeth and was mightily impressed. Great acoustics, modern comfortable seating, versatile performance space; they even have a green room (or the equivalent of). It's a vibrant place and one we may not have considered if it hadn't been recomended by the organizers of the book festival. We're also considering the CBSO centre - would have liked the Conservatoir but the seating is either 150 or 500.

After being a bit disconnected from poetry performance today's meeting reinjected a great deal of excitement and enthusiasim for the project. It feels great that we'll have a reasonable amount of time to plan it.

I wasn't quite as excited about my belly dance class last night. I came home wondering how on earth I'm going to be an international dancer if after two years of classes I can't do a competent Egyptian walk. There really is no short cut. This week if you see me anywhere walking a bit wierd - ignore me - just practicing my Egyptian walk.