Book launches, London antics and garden updates 📖 🐟 🍋
The busiest of Lizzies this month, but very happily so
Hello, you! A bit of a different post from me today, as now that things have picked up again in my little freelance business (the ebbs and flows of self-employment continue to baffle me), I have more exciting stuff to update you on. If you want to hear a little bit about my work in the publishing/media industry, supporting authors and podcasters with their creative projects, PLUS some gardening chit chat, keep reading!
At my desk (or very much not at my desk)
This month, I’ve been in London more than at home in our cosy corner of the Sussex countryside. There is a lot going on: two of the lovely authors I work with have published their books within a week of each other, and I have been in and out of the city to support them and capture social media content at various very exciting events.
Last Wednesday, I was lucky enough to have a behind the scenes look at the inner workings of a beautiful event at Fortnum & Mason, bringing female CEOs together to eat, drink, network and celebrate the publication of author and chef
’s new cookbook, Home Shores: 100 simple fish recipes to cook at home. It was wonderful to be surrounded by so many powerful women and utterly spellbinding to see Emily in her element, plating up dishes and creating her unique brand of seasonal culinary magic with the simplest and freshest of ingredients.
Home Shores is officially out in the world TODAY, Thursday 15th May. It’s simply a must-have bible for anyone who has ever balked at the idea of attempting to cook with fish and seafood: Emily has created 100 simple fish recipes to try in your own home kitchen, and lemme tell you, they are sensational. She writes as beautifully as she cooks (you will already know this if you subscribe to her Substack newsletter) and the imagery in this book is breathtaking too. You can order your very own copy here.
From Cornish fish to Sardinian lemons, this week has been all about citrus with the publication of chef, author and illustrator
’s new collection of recipes, For the Love of Lemons. On Monday evening I spent a very happy few hours shooting content at a lemon-themed supper club, hosted by Itamar and Sarit of Honey & Co on Store St, who curated a menu of their favourite dishes from the book. I didn’t actually get to eat any of the food, but oh boy did it smell DIVINE. On Wednesday, I was back at Charing Cross station again with my trusty iPhone in tow, shooting Letitia’s private book launch at Spring restaurant in Somerset House (dreamy).If you’re looking to add some sunshine and zing to your kitchen, For the Love of Lemons is packed full of gorgeous Italian-inspired recipes from Letitia’s kitchen in Sardinia, celebrating the versatility of the humble lemon and all those citrusy flavours so many of us love and use in our own home recipes. It’s pure joy in a book. Grab yours here!
In other lovely client news, one of my brilliant podcasting duos released their episode with Their Royal Highnesses Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and the response has been WILD. It’s one of those career moments that feels quite surreal - to know that I played even a teeny, tiny, miniscule part in the making of that episode is a very special thing. Listen to it here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
(ex-glossy magazine editors Lorraine Candy and Trish Halpin - highly recommend their Substack newsletter!) also interviewed the extraordinary Lucinda Light on their podcast Postcards from Midlife - when I tell you I SQUEALED when I saw that name. Lucinda is a force to be reckoned with and I loved listening to their conversation. You can listen for yourself here.
In the garden
What’s happening in the garden this month? Well, it’s popping off, as the kids say. The lavender is starting to bud, potatoes we didn’t know had been planted are making themselves known in the raised beds, and the rosemary and sage is flowering too. To my complete surprise and delight, the dahlia that I planted outside at the very end of March is still alive and thriving, despite some very cold weather - frost be damned!
A friend of James’ mum gifted me an Aster, which I have planted in a large pot with a patchwork of three different types of compost (needs must when you’re running low - my gardening philosophy is very much ‘pop it in and hope for the best’). It does look relatively happy in there, but it won’t flower until late summer, so I’ll need to exercise some patience with that one. I’ve also bought four little bedding plants, which I initially planted in terracotta pots, but the white cosmos is already looking like it might need to be relocated to a bigger space. The level of garden planning required to actually keep things alive is no joke.
The purple camas flowers are now starting to fade away; little clusters of foxgloves are rearing their sweet little bell-shaped heads all over the garden, daisies are popping up in every available space, and the forget-me-nots in the raised beds are almost taking over.
We’ve had a spate of very warm and sunny weather recently, and as a result, the Weigela bush at the end of the garden has now started flowering too. I have to confess that I didn’t know that particular plant produces flowers, so this was a very welcome surprise - those pale pink blooms are bringing me SO much joy.
When I finally manage to spend a decent amount of time at home, I’d like to plant the rest of my dahlia tubers, plus some poppy and sunflower seeds directly into long planters at the bottom of the garden. I’m very late to the party with the old seed sowing, but they’ll bloom at some point this summer, right? Right.
And that’s all for now, folks! Thanks for reading, that was quite the bumper newsletter. As always, I remain utterly gobsmacked and full of gratitude that this is my job. Being able to celebrate women and shout about their brilliance, from the authors themselves to the food stylists and editors and publicists and photographers that make it all happen behind the scenes, is what keeps my heart jubilant and joyful. Thanks for joining and I’ll be back next week 💛
What an exciting time for you! I’m looking forward to adding two new cookery books to the bookshelves 📚
Lauren, I needed this post after a busy day at work! It slowed me right down — you have suchhhh a beautiful garden 🥰 I planted a tree in mine this spring and seeing it grow has been one of the most grounding things ever. Never thought I’d be a garden person, but here I am!! Also… drop the skincare routine?? You’re glowing!!