Cardboard Wars

My friend Fiona has come down from London to stay with me for 10 days. I rarely have visitors because my flat is so small and my lifestyle is rather too spartan for most people. I shall have to wear her out with outdoors activities so that she doesn't notice the lack of luxuries! Yesterday we went to Cardboard Wars in Singelton Park. We had to make suits of armour and weapons out of cardboard and then bash each other on the noggin and elsewhere in a properly organised tourney. I think that this event has something to do with the Art Across the City programme of public art works and happenings. Incidentally I lost my fight in the first round.

It takes a certain mentality to be a true warrior. Aggression and ambition must be modified by a cool head under pressure and an aptitude for tactical and strategic thinking. Jenny Khan, the 12 year old girl who is the hero of my novel The Young Dictator, is a genuine warrior. She quickly rises to become dictator of Britain and then dictator of the world and then dictator of the solar system, dictator of the galaxy and dictator of the universe... This novel is being published next month courtesy of Pillar International and I am very very very very very very very very very excited!