Sorry for the delay getting back to you! Yes, I think there were a lot of people trying to book slots so hopefully this is a sign they can expand the offering to meet demand in future years.

Yes, there does come a point when ranting simply becomes venting. I've been in publishing 18 years and it's more diverse than when I started, but the key word there is "more" rather than "diverse", and now it does feel as if things are starting to slowly slide backwards for the first time.

Even being with a big publisher wouldn’t necessarily help. Hosting events has underlying costs that means bookshops will turn down most requests unless they’re sure they can make a sizeable return. They’re often cautious in their expectations, which can be frustrating.

And this is my first 'tweet'! (What do the locals call them?)