I'm not sure if this strange time had a proper beginning and I certainly can't see its end. This week I haven't wanted to be online much even though there has been an explosion of people offering online workshops, readings and classes. I've been slightly ill and still feel under the weather but I'm sure … Continue reading Corona Diary: Possibly Week 3 – but are you counting?
Things I've done this week for the first time in my life: attended a webinar about what older women want to read (unfortunately I kept losing my internet connection). went to my writing fiction class via Zoom (never heard of it before). Overheard comments: "I should've worn make-up!" "I'm not switching my camera on because … Continue reading Corona Diary: One Week In
Hello out there, dear readers. I thought I'd share with you how I'm getting used to living in the new normal of a global pandemic. As yet, our household of four adults isn't showing any signs of having the virus - no continuous coughing or high temperatures. Our daughter is a student at Oxford University … Continue reading Corona Diary – Day One
Just to let you know that Nine Arches Press is holding a Summer Sale with many books half-price or less including What Are You After? my collection of poems which was published last summer. 🙂
There's that joke about January lasting hundreds of days and then the rest of the year whizzing by in the blink of an eye. That's definitely what I've been experiencing. I was just beginning to recover from my knee operation and then I somehow managed to contract viral pneumonia - so my January has definitely … Continue reading Slow January continues
This Christmas has mostly been about recovering from minor arthroscopic surgery to correct a torn meniscus in my left knee. My stitches came out on 19 December and I had hoped to do a lot of writing because, coincidentally, my husband and two grown-up children have been visiting a close family friend in Australia for … Continue reading Christmas Retreat
It's November and the weather is alternatively grey and grim or sunny and seriously cold, and the news is pretty dreadful these days, so I thought I'd cheer myself up by remembering a lovely bus journey I took on a beautiful day in October - when it was as warm as June. As part of … Continue reading Trowbridge to Avebury on the Number 49 Bus
Three years ago, I was lucky enough to be selected for the Aldeburgh Eight Advanced Poetry Seminar, organised by the now, very sadly, discontinued Poetry Trust. I had an amazing time as an Aldeburgh Eight Poet with a free festival pass - which, for me, felt like being a child allowed to run amok in … Continue reading My bags are packed for Poetry in Aldeburgh
A new poem of mine was commended in the Poetry Society's Stanza competition, a yearly event for people who are both members of the Poetry Society and a Stanza (poetry groups run voluntarily by Society members). As I've mentioned before, I organise the Trowbridge Stanza which meets on the first Saturday of every month at Drawing … Continue reading ‘To Bring Me Luck’ – new poem
A new poem of mine has been longlisted in Live Canon's International Poetry Competition. Naturally, I'm sad that it didn't make it to the shortlist and so won't be performed by the amazing Live Canon Ensemble at the Prizewinners' Show (which is always a gorgeous afternoon of poetry and camaraderie and really worth attending - … Continue reading The Circus of the Marvellously Menopausal Woman
