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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…

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.…
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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.…
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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
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Free Writing Friday - A Creative Classroom Revolution

Click here to read an article I have written about Free Writing Friday. This is a fantastic initiative spearheaded by children's author Cressida Cowell (of How to train your Dragon fame & The Wizards of Once) to give back creative freedom…
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Using poetry to engage & motivate children

Please click here to read an article I wrote for Simply Learning Tuition (a London-based tutor company) on how poetry can be a powerful tool to inspire, engage & motivate children.
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Where do Ideas come from?

Probably the question I get asked more than any other as an author is where my ideas come from. First of all, I'd like to debunk the myth that writers have better ideas than people who don't write. It's simply not true. It's what people…
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An Advent Calendar Poe-Tree

I had been meaning to create an advent calendar 'poe-tree' for my children for years, ever since seeing one on a children's book blog I follow. There's never going to be an easy time to do this, so I just decided to go for it this year, pulling…
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Encouraging Reluctant Readers

I recently had an article published on 'How to Encourage Reluctant Readers' on the Advice for Parents section of Simply Learning Tuition (a London based tutor-company). Click here to have a read of it!