writers hamper help

[cakeoholic]

I am making a writers hamper for Christmas for a friend who let me read some of her stories recently because I think it would really help her confidence and self esteem and give her a little encouragement.

I have bought a book with tips on writing stories, a book of short stories and a gorgeous notebook (imo!) a pen, booklight and some chocolate but now I'm stuck. Been looking for a bookmark but hate those magnetic ones and any I've found in shops seem a bit rubbish. Any more ideas for what I could include?

hot chocolate or herbal tea bags.
I found a lovely bookmark for my mum in past times last year - metal butterfly. Wasn't this style but they don't seem to have it this year and this is an alternative www.pasttimes.com/christmas_3/festive_home/christmas_snowflake_bookmark-841970.htm

Herbal teabags are a great idea! Maybe some hairclips or a headband... you need to have 'I'm serious about this' hair when you're writing.

Absinthe. Will make for some interesting writing.

This site is your friend. They do a whole range of 'Go away I'm writing' gifts!

This page is the best one from that site - you must be able to find something on here!

Cheap/advance tickets for a either a book festival or a local visit by an author? Managed to get £7 tickets for Mary Berry (admittedly probably not the right kind of author!) recently.

One of the Penguin Mugs? Admittedly they've gone up by an astronomical amount since I last bought one but there's usually one version going cheaply on ebay.

A really good thesaurus?

Thanks everyone, I love some of the mugs (I already bought that pen that says to write masterpiece with!) and the chocolate library choc is brilliant (but very expensive with postage)

Charmingly, that's perfect, can't believe I never thought of a thesaurus! Will google any local events, was yours in a bookshop?

Will also check out herbal teas and maybe a mini baileys rather than absinthe as I know she loves that! I actually have some brilliant tea pigs herbal teas, chocolate flake, caramel roobios and popcorn!

Yes, it was in Ely (actually got moved to a church as there were too many people). If you are in Ely or Bath then that bookshop seems to do a lot of events (google 'Topping Books'). I found out she was there by emailing her PA - if there's someone your friend particularly admires, emailing their agent could be more effective than a loose google search - I didn't find anything for Mary Berry when I googled.

Lovely idea.

How about trying to find an insane hat in a charity shop, like Jo in Little Women's scribble cap?

Post-it notes?

Strong coffee for late night writing sessions?

Postcards of famous writers she likes? Jane Austen and Virginia W to start with maybe?

I love my Penguin mig so much that it has been worth every penny, even though I'd never normally pay that much on a mere mug!

Etsy for lovely hand made bookmarks