Only a few days after Ink and I returned from our adventure in NYC, it was time for me to set off again – although it was to somewhere slightly closer to home this time.

Still reeling from the flight and holiday fun, I grabbed my good friend and we boarded a Megabus (I’m sorry for that 5am start by the way) bound for Manchester. After a not very pleasant journey and a distinct lack of sleep – especially as I hadn’t managed to drop off at all before leaving – we arrived a little bleary eyed and ready to drink a lot of coffee before hunting down the City Library, where I was reading as part of the Bugged book launch.

After much walking in circles, we made it and in plenty of time to run off and eat some veggie fried breakfasts. While this was decidedly tasty, it was perhaps not the best choice for someone who was feeling a little nervous about her second ever public reading. Luckily, I got over the nausea and we made it back to the library in time to find all of the other readers and a nice selection of listeners ready to enjoy the event.

Having already read most of the Bugged pieces online already, I was expecting a pretty high standard overall. Everyone lived up to my expectations – even though a few of the folks were giving their first readings – and it was cool to be a part of it. A big thanks to Jo Bell for her enthusiasm and also to her and co-editor David Calcutt for putting the project together.

Once it was over, we joined a group of readers and retired to a nearby cafe for yet more coffee, and grilled people for suggestions for our one and only night in Manchester. Typically, the locals struggled (the same thing happens to me, even though everywhere I look I’m surrounded by pubs here in Edinburgh) but we lucked into a great restaurant and some memorable places to drink.

The night was packed with silly posing and photo taking (Bugged pics courtesy of the lovely Martha – who is showing us her oneness with the medium of TV) and we filled the next day shopping and seeing Despicable Me (which was SO CUTE and lovely) before catching the bus back to Edinburgh. Overall, we decided we liked Manchester a lot and I’m really glad the Bugged reading inspired me to take the trip – yay for literature.