Writing can be a solitary and sometimes slightly soul-destroying gig. And being a working writer – having made that transition from writing being solely your passion and your joy, into it being a thing you need to do to put cash in the bank and fulfil your legal obligations – is in part a massive privilege but also something that risks eating away at all the passion and joy that got you started.

That’s why celebrating every victory is worthwhile: every draft completed; every contract signed; every version of a book released. Today’s victory is actually quite a large one. Being shortlisted for an award is an absolute thrill. So that’s my celebration for today. What’s yours?