The blog
An assortment of thoughts, opinions and stories
Books I’ve enjoyed, notes from my workshops, and stories about writing, dance and travel
The Night Diary
Recently, I revisited a review of a book I loved – My Name is Rose. The book made a particularly powerful impression on me because the lead character cannot speak, not because she is mute, but because…
The Diamond of Drury Lane
I love Julia Golding. There were a couple that I didn’t end up writing about – The Glass Swallow and Ringmaster (Darcie Lock Book 1), but there were others that I devoured and simply had to gush about. Here are…
Dead Man’s Cove
The cover of Dead Man’s Cove, the first of the Laura Marlin Mysteries, has a snippet from a review, proclaiming that the book will delight Enid Blyton fans. And so, even though I read the second…
Creative Writing Workshops
What’s better than a creative writing workshop with enthusiastic children?Two creative writing workshops with enthusiastic children! On Saturday, I did a workshop at Meridian Kids Club for the first time. New place, new children…
The Writers’ Club 2018-19
Another year at the Writers’ Club has come to an end, and what a wonderful session we had to bring a creative year of stories to an end! We began, as always, with an…
Me and Mister P
There are times when only a polar bear will do …” Arthur and Liam’s Mum I’m still smiling as I write this review, even though I finished reading Me and Mister P yesterday. It’s such a charming…
Reading and Data
Adults love data. They love graphs and statistics and numbers. During workshops with adults, the moment I put up a graph, I have everyone’s attention as if I’m finally saying something ‘real’. And that’s…
Making Creative Writing Engaging
Making Creative Writing Engaging
Sometimes, I wonder whether secretly, I conduct creative writing workshops more to inspire myself than to inspire the children I work with. Whatever it is, I do know that I enjoy myself tremendously whenever…
The Little Rainmaker
It is the year 2028, and it hasn’t rained for ten years. The last time it rained, Anoushqa was in her mother’s womb. She kicked when it rained. That’s her only experience of rain,…
The Lies We Tell
I finished reading The Lies We Tell last night. I woke up this morning, still disturbed. For a moment, I just had a vague sense of unease that I could not place, but a few seconds later,…
