Last spring I spent two weeks in London for a work experience placement at Slightly Foxed: The Real Reader’s Quarterly. While I was there, I took the opportunity to invite myself for a meal at the lovely flat of a busy copywriter and mother. Lots of good food was had, including a very tasty cheesecake made by the eight-year-old son, and the wine flowed freely. But one of the reasons for the evening, was to talk about writing.

As many of you will know, getting any sort of work as a writer is very difficult with or without the relative experience. My host, having been a copywriter for about 12 years, is the perfect person to give advice about how to make it in this competitive industry.

I was pleased to discover that not only is this fab mother good with words, she also enjoys reading them. So while she was clearing away the remains of our delicious Coq au Vin, I sneaked off, wine glass in hand, to check out her bookshelves.

The fun began in her son’s bedroom, which is creative, colourful and, as every kid’s room should be, absolutely crammed with books!

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Now I don’t have a bookshelf at the moment. Instead, I have books lying around in bundles everywhere, tottering towers waiting to be read and ever growing ‘finished’ piles. So when I get a chance to browse through other people’s books on their accessible and easy to view shelves, I get quite excited! A particular house I like to visit, belonging to Mr. and Mrs. S gets me particularly excited – it’s my version of Book Heaven.

Staying with this friendly couple is a real treat for book lovers. As two voracious readers, with a huge collection and variety of books, you could spend hours wondering around the house, browsing the shelves. You also get the added bonus of book recommendations with your morning coffee and mild debates about Charles Dickens over dinner.

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