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Libby Page

Author / swimmer / optimist

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Due to the current health crisis all events are postponed for now, but I HOPE TO get back out and meet lovely readers again soon!

Libby x

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My colourful life (or why I dress like a rainbow)

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Ahh a happy day as bookshops and libraries across the country reopen their doors. I headed to two today - @artwordsbookshop which I visited after a final swim at London Fields Lido before my move to Somerset next week. It’s a lovely, creative shop stocking thought-provoking non-fiction, beautiful design books and some fab children’s books. I bought a couple of board books for my baby’s every-growing collection. Then on to @stokeybookshop which has been my local for the past few years, for an emotional hello / goodbye. I left with a pile of books and a huge smile on my face. One of the books I picked up today had been on my list (The Lamplighters - because I’ve heard great things and am a bit obsessed with lighthouses) but the rest were ones that just jumped out at me from the shelves. That’s the wonderful thing about browsing a bookshop or library that to me just cannot be matched online. The joy of discovery, of being taken in a different reading direction by a particularly intriguing title, cover, or recommendation from a member of staff. It felt so good to be back browsing in a bookshop among the smell of paper, the happy hush and all those beautiful books. Have you visited your local bookshop or library today? And good luck to all the shops that have reopened today - I hope your communities welcome you with open arms (while also maintains safe social distancing!!). 📚📖

Happy Sunday from me, bump and our good friends Ben and Jerry... 😂I’m now in the third trimester of my pregnancy and feeling it - my energy levels are low and getting on and off the sofa has become something of an effort. Next week is a busy one as I start editing Book 4 and also pack up our flat in London ahead of our move to Somerset. Right now it feels like there is so much to do ahead of this baby arriving: moving house, getting to a good stage with my work and getting all the ‘stuff’ our little one needs. It is also providing good motivation though; I usually don’t enjoy editing that much - I know it’s important but it doesn’t feel as fun to me as writing from scratch. But now I feel determined to get on with it and to get the book into the best possible place while I have the time. I’ve so enjoyed writing this one - it’s proven a brilliant distraction and escape during lockdown. I’m planning to take a bit of time out when the baby arrives although knowing me my brain will probably still be whirring with ideas during night feeds and naps, because writing is just such a huge part of who I am. But I’m very excited to add ‘mum’ to that mix too. 💙

Hurrah! After months of back and forth, stress and delays, today we finally exchanged contracts for our flat sale and will be moving to Somerset in just over a week. I’ve spent 10+ happy years in London but feel very ready to move back to the South West countryside where I grew up, especially as we approach starting our little family. London has given me so much - happy memories, friendships, inspiration for my books, and my husband! But it feels like time for a new chapter. I’m excited to get back to my roots, to go on long country walks, find new swim spots and hopefully find new inspiration for my writing too. And the city will always be there to return to for visits. But I’m ready to go home. 🌳🏡

‘She cannot wait for her baby to be born. Her body aches from carrying and her heart aches from wanting. But as she swims she wishes it could be like this forever - just the two of them, both as close as they will ever be to another person. The water holds them and they hold each other.’ I wrote this in The Lido years before becoming pregnant. But it really is how I feel now. I am SO excited to meet our baby and to introduce him to our loved ones. But it hit me the other day that once he is born I will have to share him. Right now, his kicks and elbows and wriggles feel like a secret guarded in the very core of me. But one day in a few months he will belong not just to me but to the world. I am so glad I’ve been able to get back to swimming recently. In the water my body feels soothed and for a few moments it’s just the water and us. It’s funny how much my writing overlaps with my own life; my stories and characters are all fictional but I definitely try to draw on real thoughts and emotions which is why it’s maybe no surprise that motherhood is a big theme in my next book, The Island Home.

Signing copies of The Lido in the sunshine this afternoon. It’s nearly three years since my first novel came out although in some ways it feels much longer than that given I got the publishing deal and quit my job in marketing a year or so before that. Since then I’ve written three more books and can’t wait to share my third, The Island Home with you in June. It’s been getting some great early reviews which is so heartening, and I feel really proud of this one. I think with each book I’ve tried to push myself to try something new or focus on a different aspect of my writing. The Lido will always hold a special place in my heart for the way it totally changed my life and for including ones of my passions in life - outdoor swimming. But I really hope to keep growing and developing as an author with each book I write. 🖋📖📚

Hurrah!! After three months out of the water due to lockdown I got back to @westreservoir_n4 today and it was utterly magical. The sun warm on my skin, the water cool and soothing, my heavy body feeling so light and free as I swam. So wonderful to see my swimming friends again and the lovely staff at the reservoir. There is such a brilliant community there, as I’ve found at all outdoor swimming spots. For me swimming is only a tiny bit about exercise - mostly it’s about the feel of the water, the people and the huge boost it brings to my mental health. 💦☀️

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