5. And I've just caught up with both series of Rivals, with its racy 1980s TV plotline and warring media moguls, which is a riot, and if a Jilly Cooper novel isn't a good beach read I don't know what is! Fiction with a communications angle. What else would you pack?

4. Shattered, Hanif Kureishi The accident that turned his life upside down, leaving him paraplegic & confined to hospitals in Rome and London. Among moments of impotent fury & memories of lovers past and present, he muses on the craft of writing itself - fascinating for the editorially minded

3. Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe I recently listened to the audiobook and loved all 28 hour 14 minutes of it. Look out for English journalist Peter Fallow at New York tabloid The City Light, battling his drinking problem while chasing a sensational story

2. Swift As Desire, Laura Esquivel In which Mexican telegraph operator Júbilo has a gift for communication, acting as an interpreter to translate other people's stories and turn hate into love. But why did the communication break down with wife Lucha when previously there was so much passion?

1. Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, Mario Vargas Llosa An 18-year-old lad working at the radio station in Lima embarks on an affair with his 32-year-old divorcee aunt...then eccentric Bolivian soap opera scriptwriter Pedro Camacho shows up and injects even more drama into proceedings...

Thinking about what books to take on holiday? Drawn to marketing and media? I've put together a list of good fiction on a communications theme...what would you add? Think: Characters who are writers, journalists or filmmakers...or a bookish or broadcast setting...⛱️

For more than a decade, Sookio has built trusted relationships with teams across the University of Cambridge, supporting communications in 25+ divisions through effective strategy, content and campaigns. Case study: www.sookio.com/case-studies...

First rule of marketing; make people look attractive and they will share your stuff. This month, we're talking about the difference it makes to your marketing strategy if you make people look gorgeous, smart and interesting. preview.mailerlite.io/preview/1745... Sign up: sookio.com/mailing-list

And another one

Have been in Oxford over the weekend. Always love how the sandstone makes the place just *glow*, it's so uplifting

We hand to hand in devices at the 11 Downing Street event yesterday, which is fair enough. But Enterprise Nation kindly shared some of the official pics, which was nice

Hosted by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves in partnership with Enterprise Nation, the event focused on digital and AI adoption among UK SMEs. An honour to be invited, and I even got to meet Larry the Cat!

What could be more British than standing outside 10 Downing Street and everyone naturally forming a queue so we all had an opportunity to take a photo 😊 It was an honour to attend a reception next door at 11 Downing Street in celebration of #LondonTechWeek.

Huge congratulations to all the winners at the National Business Women's Awards on Friday. Back for my 5th year as a judge, it was an honour to give out the trophies for Service Excellence, Social Impact and Best New Business and celebrate so many phenomenal businesswomen out there!

Great to join the Marketing Leaders Network on a panel with Joanna Lane (Tony's Chocolonely) and Patrick Pordage (Monumo) where we talked about the power of the pivot. If you're going to change direction in your marketing career, how do you decide when to make the leap, and how do you get it right?

Delighted to be joining the Advisory Board for angliaruskin.bsky.social Cambridge School of Creative Industries. Looking forward to bringing 3 decades of industry experience, strategic marketing skills & networks to help the School achieve its mission. Exciting! www.sookio.com/blog/aru-cam...

There's a place in heaven reserved for businesses who help other businesses. Shout out to new coworking space Ely Work Collective. I popped in yesterday to record a guest interview for the Communication Untangled podcast. Bravo to founders, helping founders: www.elyworkcollective.co.uk

"From concept to delivery, Sue took full ownership of the workshops so we could hand over with complete confidence. Many commented on how insightful & helpful they found her guidance & expertise & how the sessions validated & inspired them to pursue their podcast projects with greater confidence.”

** The approach ** 1. Launching your podcast 2. Production and presenting 3. Promotion (so people actually hear the thing!) * 4 workshops * 100+ attendees * 4 worksheets * 18 activities * 4 tip sheets * 1 list of podcast recommendations * A lot of laughs, questions, peer-to-peer learning

** The challenge ** Lack of knowledge, confidence or experience in developing podcasts can hold people back. So the team at the West Hub set up the Content Creator's Club, a series of practical workshops designed to give individuals and groups the skills needed to create high-quality content.

📑Case study: Podcast workshops with the University of Cambridge West Hub media lab📑 This series of three workshops brought together some of my great loves: quality brand storytelling...best practice in content creation...upskilling others so they can do it brilliantly themselves.

A nourishing weekend of reading (finished Nudge; started Kiki Man Ray)... fitness... bit of gardening... walking the dog, enjoying birdsong... completed 42 Courses Behavioural Science for Effective Messaging (excellent)... a bit of work because I fancied it... cooking... piano... and sunshine!!

⭐ Service spotlight! Marketing & Communications Consultancy ⭐ * Trusted sounding board for ideas & plans * Finetune messaging, define your positioning * External perspective on a changing industry * Content consultancy for video, podcast, web sookio.com/marketing-communications-consultant-cambridge

Here's a dingly dell and steep incline

Here's the sound of some chirpy birds first thing in the morning 🐦

Oxygenating myself this weekend and enjoying some delightfully noisy birdsong. Here's some bluebells...

3. And visit the Sookio website for brand storytelling service and workshops for leadership teams: www.sookio.com/brand-storyt... And if all else fails with your visibility strategy, just wear really bright red trousers 🤷🏻‍♀️

2. 10 June. Half-day building visibility workshop. Anyone can book on, so you get to define your positioning, clarify your message and build a visibility plan, with peer-to-peer networking too. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/building-v... [ask me for a discount code]

There's clearly a need to know how to get your story straight and decide what to say, and where. So I created some additional resources: 1. Download your visibility checklist. Rate your performance and spot opportunities to boost your visibility: sookio.com/resources

Excellent start to the day, Building Visibility over Breakfast this morning with the Chamber of Commerce. 80+ signups - certainly a busy one! Lots to cover: ⭐️ Playing to your communication strengths, ⭐️ Defining your visibility rhythm ⭐️ The messaging framework that underpins it all