Posts

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How do we create a new narrative of hope?

'It's important to say what hope is not: it is not the belief that everything was, is, or will be fine. The evidence is all around us of tremendous suffering and tremendous destruction. The hope I'm interested in is about broad perspectives…
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An Open Letter from a Writer to the General Public

To whom it may concern, It's often said that everybody has a book in them. Perhaps there's an element of truth to this because each and every one of us haves stories woven into our DNA's, wanting to be told in one form or another. But a question…
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The Art of Letting Go For Writers

So, you have finished what you are working on. You have been over it and over it. And over it again. And you may not feel as though it is truly finished (is anything ever finished?), but nevertheless you need to send it off and the truth is…
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Should writers be part of a writing group?

Writing groups - what is your opinion of them? Do you think they they're a brilliant way of stoking our creative fires in a  supportive environment, or is our precious time better spent getting down to writing, rather than just chatting…
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Guest Post from Author Renita D'Silva

Five-time author Renita D'Silva is interviewed this week on her writing life and inspiration behind her bold, colourful novels that confront difficult and often taboo issues from within India, the country from which she hails and describes…
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Childhood Books Beloved of Authors

'You are what you eat,' it has commonly been said. But, I'd argue, you are also what you read. During our childhoods when we are discovering new worlds for the first time, we read with our entire bodies, minds and senses. We literally become…
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Three Fantastic Magazines for Children

Have you ever thought you'd like to subscribe to a magazine for your children, but something with a little more depth and less gender stereotyping than the average glossy mag that can be slipped into the shopping trolley at the supermarket? Living…
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A celebration of writing by hand and why we must retain this ancient artform

Did you know that Saturday 23 January is National Handwriting Day in the US? Spurred on by Danny Gregory's ridiculously inspiring blog, I decided that this week was the week to pen (or, ironically, type?) a celebration of writing by hand. John…
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How to be a writer when you're not writing

Illustration by Kris Di Giacomo for Matthew Burgess's book 'enormous SMALLNESS' Recently, my laptop died. Let's just say it had a little accident involving water and has, in two words, had it. (I am currently borrowing from various people and…