A new chapter

An exclusive peek at my debut children's book!

I’ve always wanted to be an author. I know you can’t really say “always” about stuff like that, because it’s obvious that I had other concerns when I was a baby. Still, it feels true, and that’s why it’s hard to believe that I suddenly am what I always wanted to be: I’m an author! An actual author! With a book! In the shops!

You probably know me for my journalism about crisp flavours around the world, Gwyneth Paltrow’s body double, or Disney adulthood, so you might not be fussed about my book for kids. But writing this novel was the happiest I’ve ever felt in my entire life, so I’d love if you had a second to check it out.

It’s called Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller, and it’s about a teen who time travels to a new era every New Year’s Day. Her friends, family, crush, cat and even mortal enemy come along with her, but only Lily remembers they’re all really from the 21^st century.

The Telegraph called it a “highly entertaining debut novel” while The Guardian said that, “meticulously researched history meets hilariously relatable misadventure in this surefire winner”. Incredibly, Lily Tripp was also chosen as Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month for June.

But you should make up your own mind! Below is the first chapter. I hope it piques your interest.

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5.04 p.m. Thursday 18th December, 2025

There are three things you need to know about me but, unfortunately, I can only tell you two.

• My name is Lily Tripp

• I turn thirteen in two weeks

There’s currently a bearded man on our kitchen counter going on and on about ‘living in the present’ – he’s saying it over and over again because my mum is too busy chopping potatoes to swipe to the next video on her phone.

‘Ladies –’ he’s grinning, staring up at the constellation of ceiling lights above him – ‘free yourselves from your pasts. Learn to live in the moment.’

That’s what I’m doing right here, right now. I’m becoming the most present person to ever live in the present precisely because of my past, which – not to brag – contains the most past of any past that’s ever passed.

Sorry, that might’ve been a little deep. You can tell I’m new to this whole ‘diary’ thing. I’m sitting at the table scribbling in this old, bent spiral notepad with my purple glittery gel pen that used to smell like grapes. My mum is making a cheesy potato bake. My fourteen-year-old brother, Harry, is being a cheesy potato bake – shouting, ‘It’s-a me!’ every time he kills a mushroom-looking thing in Mario.

‘Lil, will you help me grate some cheese, please?’ Mum’s just asked. I know I should’ve started grating instead of writing that down, but I’m trying to stay in the moment.

‘Can’t Harry do it?’

‘Not after what happened last time.’

‘Ugh.’

Right, I’m back. Sorry about that little smear of ched. So the best thing about living in the moment right now is that I don’t have any homework because it’s almost the Christmas holidays. The biggest (and, I think, only??) thing I have to worry about is that tomorrow is non-uniform day and Harry spilled banana milkshake all over my fuzzy chequered cardigan. You actually can’t see the stain, but there’s a lingering… scent. I don’t want to be ‘that girl who smells like artificial bananas’, so I’m going to have to wear my light-pink jumper instead.

I’ve just texted Poppy to ask what she’s wearing, but she said it’s a ‘surprise’. Even though I became best friends with her a hundred years ago, I’m still not used to Poppy’s ‘surprises’. All I can picture is the twenty purple balloons that turned her into a bunch of grapes at Halloween.

Apart from Poppy, I don’t really have many other friends at school, but I don’t mind, because I do have Ollie, the love of my life. He doesn’t actually know that’s what he is yet or anything, but still.

So there you go. That’s my present moment, and do you know what? I’m definitely, definitely, definitely going to stay living in it, just like the bearded man said I should.

Overall, secondary school can be a lot, sure, but it’s nowhere near as bad as watching an ox get ritually sacrificed by a man in a toga.

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You can buy Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller wherever you like to buy your books, but for ease here are the Amazon UK and Amazon US links. (Alternative links below!)

I have a thousand things I’d love to say about the journey from journalist to children’s author, but I don’t know how many people that’d actually interest, so I guess reply to my email or leave a comment if you want to chat! The main thing, though, is: I love meeting young readers. I’ve been so inspired by the pupils I’ve met, and can confirm that reports about ‘kids these days’ have been greatly exaggerated.

Thank you so, so much for reading! If you buy it or borrow it, I truly hope you enjoy reading Lily Tripp.

_{Illustrations © Frieda Ruh}