Women in the time of Downton Abbey were far more sexually misbehaved that you might think. Lady Mary and her heartbreakingly handsome Turkish visitor were far from alone in going to bed together out of wedlock.

Am preparing for a trip to New York ahead of the publication of my next book, and first novel, Park Lane. A couple of dinners have been set up for me. I was told that my last book, The Bolter, led to people holding ‘Bolter’ dinner parties in celebration of my misbehaving great-grandmother, Idina...

It was World Book Night yesterday – an ingenious plan to give hundreds of thousand of books away to strangers to encourage more people to read.

Last night I hosted a reception for Museums at Night, a weekend event when museums, galleries, libraries, galleries and heritage sites across the country stay open during the evenings for special events.