, ,

A Letter to my Future Grandchildren

Dear Ones, You will ask me stories about what it was like during the time of the virus, just as I asked my own grandparents about the war. I will tell you how at first I didn’t take it too seriously; none of us did. We listened, baffled,…
,

Human Writes: A Guest Blog with disabled writer Ann Young

I am really delighted to welcome on to my blog Poet & Disability Arts Advocate Ann Young. I heard her read one of her poems at the Dead (Women) Poet's Society in Norwich. A couple of working poets shared with the audience two forgotten…
,

Ripples of Kindness, Starting at the Library

The other day, a friend asked me if I'd had my 'moment' yet; that is, of truly feeling the weight and enormity of what we collectively are living through with the global pandemic. I think there have been plenty of 'moments' for me of ever-shifting…
,

Norwich: What's in a place?

Since meeting my husband in 2004, I have lived in: Brighton, Cambridge, rural Suffolk, Godmanchester, Bangalore (India), Twickenham, St Margarets, Nairobi (Kenya), a different home in Nairobi, backpacked around India for 6 months with the…

6 Influencers for the New Decade

Entering this new decade, I've been wondering who are the people out there for whom I have deep respect for each and every new offering they put out there. This list is, of course, by no means exhaustive. But let's say they're my top 6: four…

Top Reads of 2019

As the end of 2019 is fast approaching, I thought I'd write a list of my top ten books of this year. If you like the sound of any of them, you've still time to pop down to your local bookshop before Christmas. The following books are not in…

A clarion call to creative resilience in the face of fire

You know when you read something and your breath catches because of the depth and breadth of the truth it speaks to you? The following words, written by Courtney E. Martin and illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton rendered such a response in me.…
,

The Truth about my Mother on her 75th Birthday

My mother recently celebrated her 75th Birthday and, as one of the gifts I gave her, I decided to write a poem for her. The theme of this year's National Poetry Day was TRUTH, so I used that single word as a starting point for what became my…
, , ,

The Healing Power of Story

I am nocturnally challenged. Many years ago, upon sharing this information with someone I met, he looked me in the eye and said 'Get your beloved to read to you.' I wasn't sure what my beloved would think of that, but I asked him, and he did.…
,

Celebrating National Poetry Day

Please click here to read an article I have written about National Poetry Day, celebrated this year (2019) on 3rd October. This year's theme is TRUTH. So, why not join in and #tellyourtruth