It took an artist creating a paper model of Balsall Heath Park, a world-renown Imam explaining Ramadan to non-Muslims and the gifting of trees in an inner-city neighbourhood, for me to understand why I no longer write books.
Continue reading “Why I stopped writing books”Fertility Fest: Why do one in six couples feel alone?
A very good question is going to be asked in Birmingham on Saturday, 28 May 2016. If one in six couples experience some form of infertility, why do they feel so alone? Continue reading “Fertility Fest: Why do one in six couples feel alone?”
What is a writer?
When people ask what I do for a living, I tend to say I’m a writer. Maybe I should think of a different answer, because too often people imagine my work involves sitting at home all day coming up with inspiration. Continue reading “What is a writer?”
Archbishop
Well, that’s a good idea for a book: Archbishop is about the first female Archbishop of Canterbury. It’s fiction, obviously. Continue reading “Archbishop”
There is nothing as hard as writing
I’m a writer. I write books. I write for newspapers. I write for the web. I’m a writer. I am – honestly.
Just look in my loft. There are boxes packed with all the pages I have written. Continue reading “There is nothing as hard as writing”
How has being a mother affected my creativity?
I recently watched Who Does She Think She Is? – an award-winning film by Pamela T Boll about motherhood and creativity.
I found the film a little disappointing because so much of it was about the politics and practicalities around women as artists. These are important issues for sure, but they aren’t the questions that I’m asking at the moment. Continue reading “How has being a mother affected my creativity?”
I no longer weigh myself – how NHS local is changing my life
I have always said that the hallmark of a good writer is one who is changed through her words.
The purpose of writing is to make a difference. If words don’t make a difference to the author, then why should they have an effect upon anybody else? Continue reading “I no longer weigh myself – how NHS local is changing my life”
The number one reason why I blog
PLEASURE.
That’s it, I’ve said it.
I was leading a workshop for Birmingham Book Festival last weekend called Finding Your Blogging Voice. One of the first things we did was brainstorm our reasons for blogging. Between us we said: Continue reading “The number one reason why I blog”
Work-life balance? That’s the least of it.
I get heartily sick of the challenge of raising a family being characterised in terms of work-life balance.
Who thought of that phrase? Continue reading “Work-life balance? That’s the least of it.”