Writer's Weekends in Ireland Wonderful creative writing courses held in a fabulous country house in Co. Limerick. You get great tuition from authors and publishers in a delightful houseparty atmosphere. And the hosts, Yasmin and Donagh, are brilliant. Visit the website for more information

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Oil from Umbria The best rated European olive oils come from Italy and this is really good. A great all-rounder - goes with practically everything. Visit their website

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Royal Shakespeare Theatre Not everyone is lucky enough to have a world famous classical theatre company on their doorstep but at least they go out and about to spread the word and the drama. This site has all the latest information on current and future productions. RSC

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Teach Yourself books I defy you not to find something that will interest you here... apart from how to get published and how to get on a TV show! Want to learn beekeeping, how to run a marathon, French, flirting? It's all here. www.teachyourself.co.uk

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Maria McCarthy Author of The Girls' Guide to Losing Your L-plates and The Girls' Car Handbook. Visit her website

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The Society of Authors Works to protect the rights and further the interests of authors. Well worth joining. They help you with all sorts of queries, no matter how trivial (as long as it relates to the business of writing). They also offer confidential, individual vetting of contracts (and help with professional disputes) to members. Visit the website.

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Maverick Television A brilliant tv and media production company (How To Look Good Naked, 10 Years Younger, Embarrassing Illnesses, Trade Secrets, Bizarre ER, The Buying Game). Without them there wouldn't be books, with my name on them, in the British Library. Visit the website

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... a trouble halved They designed this website... not only does it look good but it's a joy to use (especially if you are a techno-phobe dinosaur who'd much prefer vellum and ink as the preferred form of communication). And they do loads more: graphic design, website design, digital media, internal marketing and something called business solutions; they may even do vellum and ink solutions - I should have asked them. But go to their website and see how truly fabulous they are. Visit the website

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