The Colour-Coded Calendar
by Rowan Bennet
Released: May 05, 2026
Genre: Erotica / Erotic Romance
Why this book and why now?
Having attempting (too many) big, high-concept stories, I found myself increasingly interested in the quieter question underneath all of them: how do people actually make unconventional relationships work day-to-day? Queer domesticity not as compromise, but as aspiration.
I wanted to write about competent adults building something intentional together. No dragons or vampires, just six suburban people in a very ordinary English village trying to balance school runs, careers, emotional needs, desire, childcare and WhatsApp logistics without the whole thing collapsing. The book became ‘permission fiction’. There isn’t a huge external plot driving everything forward. The fantasy is the life itself: the idea that somewhere behind the neat hedges and colour-coded calendars, people might quietly be building relationships that look completely different from what the world expects.
Would you and your main character(s) get along?
Definitely. They’re a decent bunch. I’d get along best with Priya, I think. Despite the fact that she’s really good at keeping a secret, she isn’t quiet about what she thinks. It would be refreshing.
Did any real-life events or personal experiences influence the story?
Every writer smuggles pieces of real life into their work, even if they do it accidentally. Not always direct events but observations, the rhythms of long-term relationships, the way people negotiate care and responsibility without even realising they’re doing it.
As for coordinating a six-person polycule in middle England? No, no. For a start, I live in Scotland.
How does it feel to finally share this book with readers?
Weird, frankly. This is the longest I’ve ever spent between writing a first draft and getting it out into the world. I’ve been living with these characters for a long time and now other people get to meet them.
Is there anything you wish readers knew before diving into this book?
This is a very character-driven book. There are no murders to solve, ancient prophecies to fulfil, or dramatic breakups every thirty pages. The tension comes from intimacy, vulnerability and six people trying to build a life together in a world that doesn’t really have a template for it.
It’s deliberately gentle in places. I wanted readers to be able to settle into the world and imagine, for a little while, that this kind of life might actually be possible.
What’s one fun fact about your book that most people wouldn’t know?
I ended up creating an alarming amount of invisible infrastructure for the book. Rotas, calendars, timelines, childcare logistics, bedroom arrangements, shopping habits. At one point I realised I’d essentially project-managed an entire fictional polycule.
What TV show would your main character(s) most likely binge watch and why?
Jack actually does binge watch a TV show in the book. Lena’s probably going to make him watch every Scandi crime drama ever made. All in the original language, of course. Priya would be vocal about her love of Bridgerton. Naomi would watch Bridgerton just as much but be too embarrassed to admit it.
What 3 things would your main character want with them if they got stranded away from civilization, and why?
Seren would only need a good supply of paper, a big box of charcoal pencils and a crate of rosé and she’d turn it into a relaxed getaway. Tom would be utterly practical and insist on bringing a first aid kit, sterile gauze and antibiotics.
Which character do you relate to the most, and why?
Naomi. Practical. Organised. Probably too practical. Probably too organised.
Were there any scenes or characters that surprised you as you wrote?
Seren surprised me the most. For a long time I worried she was going to be the least dynamic character because she’s so emotionally steady compared to some of the others. She’s unphased by most things. But I gradually realised that’s the strength she brings to the group. Her constancy is what gives Naomi and the others the permission to be who they are. And when she wobbles, the others are there to catch her.
Which character was the most fun to write, and which was the hardest?
Priya was absolutely the most fun to write. She’s a brat and a schoolteacher at the same time. She says the thing everyone else is carefully avoiding.
I would trust her with my life. I would not survive parent’s evening with her.
Lena was probably the hardest. She’s confident in a way I can admire but not easily emulate.
Publishing a book is a huge accomplishment and it’s time to party! Choose a celebratory beverage for one of your main characters to toast the release of your new book.
*That* Danish Rosé from Odense. Shipped over in bulk by Lena’s aunt.
If your book had a scent, what would it smell like?
Stationary. Marker pens, highlighters, fresh notebook.
Do you outline your books in detail, or do you prefer to discover the story as you write?
I outline obsessively. Arcs, characters, plot points, everything. I also spend way too long writing character backstories and events that will never make it into the book.
Do you have any writing rituals or habits?
I get up ridiculously early to write. I’ve always been an early riser and it gives me a solid block of time to write before the rest of the house wakes up. There is, admittedly, something faintly absurd about writing explicit scenes at 5am while eating toast in complete silence.
What are you currently reading?
Sunstone by Stjepan Sejic. I read it all online years ago and I’m picking up the reprints as they’re being released. It’s incredible.
If you could have dinner with any author, living or dead, who would it be?
Agatha Christie. I think she’d be hilarious and have some incredible stories from her own life to tell.
