Adventures in reading: the writing of containment to the gift of the hard-won word

My latest Adventure in reading is now available to read here. Drawing on Sara Baume, Lorina Bulwer, and Marilyn Robinson via Ellah P. Wakatama, I consider how my relationship to words has changed during lockdown, and how tangible making can be both comfort and political necessity in such times as these. The essay has beenContinue reading “Adventures in reading: the writing of containment to the gift of the hard-won word”

Neighbourliness

While we’ve all been staying in our flats and houses during the past ten weeks of lockdown, I have been getting to know my neighbours. This is an unusual pastime for me. During the day I’m normally at work, and in the evenings – even warm, outdoorsy sort of summer evenings – I’m either workingContinue reading “Neighbourliness”

Three poems in Anthropocene

My poems “the other body”, “houseplants” and “still life with mangelwurzel” have been published today in Anthropocene poetry journal. Big thanks to Charlie and the Anthropocene team, and I hope people enjoy reading them. You can do so here.

Adventures in Reading #3: The Library of Aimless Yet Meaningful Pursuits to the writing of containment

My latest tinyletter is now available to read here. This time I take in bad ontology jokes (sorry), children’s secret codes, a fantastic essay by Khairani Barokka that I can’t stop reading, and how the communicative potential for writing and reading feels more important than ever in these days of isolation and distancing. You canContinue reading “Adventures in Reading #3: The Library of Aimless Yet Meaningful Pursuits to the writing of containment”

NCW The Writing Life podcast: exploring themes through characters with Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

A while ago I was lucky enough to have the chance to sit down with Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ and talk to her about her award-winning debut novel Stay With Me, particularly looking at how she uses character to allow her to explore bigger themes of women’s lives, chronic illness, and family life in turbulent times. OurContinue reading “NCW The Writing Life podcast: exploring themes through characters with Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀”

Adventures in Reading: 111.0 to the Library of Aimless Yet Meaningful Pursuits

The second of my Adventures in Reading is available now. This one takes in the possibility of different library cataloguing systems from the Dewey Decimal Classification to S. R. Ranganathan’s Laws of Library Science, through to “The Library of Aimless Yes Meaningful Pursuits”, a speculative essay by the OOMK Collective in their book The LibraryContinue reading “Adventures in Reading: 111.0 to the Library of Aimless Yet Meaningful Pursuits”

NCW The Writing Life podcast: from teacher to writer with Ashley Hickson-Lovence

In the autumn I had the pleasure of talking to poet and novelist Ashley Hickson-Lovence for the National Centre for Writing’s The Writing Life podcast. We talked about writing around the day job, committing to one’s writing practice through further study, and the joys of indie publishing. Listen to the end for Ashley’s top tipsContinue reading “NCW The Writing Life podcast: from teacher to writer with Ashley Hickson-Lovence”