The road to publishing A Blonde Bengali Wife has been—is—long and winding. It’s the story of a personal diary that evolved into a travel book and en route became instrumental in forming the charity Bhola’s Children. Over the next few posts, and without becoming a total Bangla-bore (I promise) I'll tell the story of the journey so far and where we're going next.Oh, and as for anyone curious to know where the baby comes in, well even at D-Day Minus 9 the jury's still out on whether that's another story. But for now, back to where it all began...

They all said that Bangladesh would be an experience...For Anne Hamilton, a three month winter programme of travel and “cultural exchange” in a country where the English language, fair hair and a rice allergy are all rare in the extreme was always going to be interesting, challenging and frustrating. What they didn’t tell Anne was that it would also be sunny, funny and the start of a love affair with this unexplored area of Southeast Asia.A Blonde Bengali Wife shows the lives beyond the poverty, monsoons and diarrhoea of Bangladesh and charts a vibrant and fascinating place where one minute Anne is levelling a school playing field “fit for the national cricket team,” cobbling together a sparkly outfit for a formal wedding the next. Along with Anne are the essential ingredients for survival: a travel-savvy Australian sidekick, a heaven-sent adopted family, and a short, dark, and handsome boy-next-door. During her adventures...

My latest short story has just been published in 'Sushirexia: 32 Stories About Hunger'http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sushirexia-32-Stories-About-Hunger/dp/0954402464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277551786&sr=8-1

It's like standing on the edge of the highest diving board or listening to the clock in an exam; like watching a baby bird get ready to fly for the first time or opening the door to a room full of strangers...Just get on and do it, feel the fear, stop thinking, and WRITE THAT FIRST BLOG POSTSo here it is. And now I'm going away to lay down in a darkened room - always supposing this appears on the page when I press Send...