The road to publication is paved with more than good intentions

I have often been asked, ‘When is your novel going to come out?  We know you’ve been with an agent and a publisher for a while, but when can we buy your book and where?’ Well, I thought it would be helpful to explain the journey from being signed up with an agent to the...

A Reflection

So, what’s happened in the last 12 months, and what have I been up to? Well, what a 12 months it’s been! This time last year, we had just moved from Derbyshire to Warwickshire; a huge shock to the system after almost 30 years of living in the north of England. It’s difficult moving at...

Buddha, beaches and brinjal – Sri Lanka, the island of dreams.

I have always wanted to visit Sri Lanka, I don’t know why, I had no real vision of it other than as an island with sandy beaches surrounded by a sapphire-coloured sea. So, when my nephew and his family moved there in May, it seemed the ideal time to make the dream become a reality....

Flaming June

The month of June always brings to my mind the expression Flaming June, as well as the painting of the same name that is the magnum opus of Frederic, Lord Leighton. The painting is classicist in nature, and the sleeping woman alludes to the nymphs and naiads often sculpted by the Greeks. It is a...

The Ancient Art of Kintsugi – golden joinery or how to turn something broken into a precious work of art.

I’ve been doing a lot of driving lately and one of the benefits is listening to radio 4. On my last journey, I was fascinated by a programme about Kintsugi, the ancient art of repairing broken bowls. They artist uses a special lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum to make the repair, which...

The Joy of Jam

It began with the figs. All 3 kgs of them. Having had such a dry summer, our fig trees seemed to go completely mad. Sadly, we hadn’t had the opportunity to eat their prolific produce, so I was unexpectedly faced with a glut of deliciously ripe purple fruit to consume. With some apprehension, I googled...

Anglesey Abbey

The monks have long gone, but one of my absolute favourite places to visit in Cambridge is Anglesey Abbey, (previously Anglesey Priory and built in the 12th century by a community of Augustinians). I first visited over thirty years ago and it has long stayed in my memory, not for the priceless objets d’art, but...

From Green Dragons to Ancient Shepherds

It’s been a long time since I lived in Cambridge (I won’t say precisely how long), but apart from the students looking younger, I’d have to say the distances between places seem shorter, too.

Inspirational Women – Berlie Doherty, writer

 ‘I remember and let’s pretend - I remember is where you start, it’s what gives the story vitality and truth. Let’s pretend is what the imagination does with it, the lies that a story-teller is allowed to tell.’ [1] There are not many people like Berlie: quiet and thoughtful, kind and gentle, extremely articulate, when...

The Muse – Jessie Burton

‘Not all of us receive the ends that we deserve. Many moments that change a life’s course – a conversation with a stranger on a ship, for example, are pure luck. And yet, no one writes you a letter, or chooses you as their confessor, without good reason. This is what she taught me: you...