So, farewell Lily Allen. I don't think it's stunning news that she has pulled out of judging the Orange Prize, especially given the horrible things she has been dealing with recently, and what is undoubtedly a very long to-do list.
When Cultural Amnesia was launched last year I wasn't sure that it would even float. It was a pleasant surprise to see it steaming off in the direction of every horizon at once.
I'm presently rereading a brilliant teen novel called Split by a Kiss, in which the heroine, Josephine, happens to like her large nose and never considers its size to be a 'flaw' until some cheeky whippersnapper points it out as such. But Josephine, bless her heart, remains convinced that her nose is fine. Ludicrously, I found myself wanting to punch the air and hiss 'Yes!'
