A Short Note on Writing & Suffering
Powerful writing arises not out of suffering, but out of questioning.
Writing
51 Posts
Writing as Strategy: in conversation with Naomi Sím
Reflections on conversations with Naomi Sím (沈宛瑩 / Sím Oán-Êng)
Bad Diagnoses: What’s Wrong With Writer’s Block.
Writer’s block exists. But it is not a useful diagnosis.
Dragon-Carving for Writers: Read the work online
A British Council funded project, working with seven writers and translators from the UK and China.
Residency at Nanning Literature House
This December, I'll be at the Nanning literature house in Tainan on a 10-day residency.
Freedom to Write Retreat 2023
This June, I'm guest writer with Freedom to Write, talking about ethics and nonfiction.
Moving to Taiwan
From August this year, I'll be in the city of Tainan, running some fun writing projects.
Dragon-carving for Writers
Literature and creativity in translation, funded by British Council Connections Through Culture
Award Shortlisting for Hello, Stranger
My book, Hello, Stranger, has been shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Awards.
Bootleg Copies of my Book are Available in Iran, and I’m Okay With That
For all the divisiveness of global politics, books have the power to connect
Awakening Between the Lines Exhibition
An exhibition of artwork from women survivors with commissioned artwork from some of Bulgaria's most talented illustrators.
Oh, Reader Magazine: Reading in Another Tongue
I've got a piece in the latest Oh, Reader magazine, on reading in languages you know badly.
The Snorgh and the Sailor: Now in Polish
My children's book, The Snorgh and the Sailor, is now published in Polish translation.
Snapshots of Museum Experience: The Korean Foreword
Elee Kirk's brilliant study of education and childhood experience in museums is now available in Korean translation.
Take Five Books
Five book recommendations about hospitality and the art of living alongside strangers.
How Writing Opens Up New Spaces in a Crowded World
When the marketplace of words seems crowded, the best remedy is to keep on writing
Creativity on the Academic Margins: Podcast
A podcast interview about writing, creativity and the challenges of teaching in multilingual environments, with Dr Tim Hannigan.
New Book Chapter: A Rude People Subjected to No Restraint
A new book chapter, in Travel Writing in An Age of Global Quarantine edited by Gary Fisher and David Robinson.
The Art of Waiting: Tove Jansson’s Moominvalley in November
A masterpiece of children’s literature about grief, friendship, human difference, and the art of waiting.
On Bread and Fiction
Writing fiction is like making bread. You need to know when to knead it, and when to just let it rise.
The Solitude of Books
In a world obsessed with conversation, physical books bring us solitude and freedom.
Amateurism, Professionalism and the Art of Creativity
If you want to create, you need to be professional. But you also need to be an amateur.
BBC Travel piece on Plovdiv and the art of making space
Bulgaria's second city has a reputation for doing things its own way.
Nietzsche’s Ten Commandments for Writers
Advice on writing from the most literary of all philosophers.
The Snorgh Gets a Makeover
The Snorgh and the Sailor is being re-released on the 12th anniversary of its first publication
On Vacation: Reeling in the Mind
Nourishing life to nourish your writing, and nourishing writing to nourish your life.
Big Beasts, Little Beasts, and the Value of Creative Writing
Creative writing teaching is about more than churning out big-shot novelists.
