If you're like me and you chase that feeling where it's like an author has just bitchslapped your brain with a brilliant idea, when you can feel your hair stand on end because you *just never thought of it that way before*, or when your whole world turns into a warm ball of goo because everything has been tilted on its axis and you barely know up from down anymore then here are six non-fiction books for you (fiction recommendations coming soon).
The way we react and talk about trauma has changed thanks to the rise of social media and 24-hr news cycles. Recently, we saw this following the massacre in Orlando, the murder of MP Jo Cox, the EU Referendum more generally. All very different events. All followed by outpourings of grief, condolence, anger, support that went viral and … Continue reading On Silence & Speaking Up (Or Why Our Voices Matter)
A slightly edited (for images/grammar) version of a FB post: I've tried finding words but I'm struggling today so apologies for the word vomit and umpteen images. This post won't be eloquent or clever. Here's the thing, when it comes to politics I've never felt so personally affected by a decision before - for a … Continue reading Brexit but Remain Against Ignorance
Money, money, money; money on my mind. In fact, more and more often, personal finance creeps into my brain and tickles like an earworm. This isn’t surprising. As a twenty-something, I am (verrryyyy slowly) levelling up on the grownup front. I've been doing the stuff like pay bills and budget for a while but now I'm also … Continue reading How Mindful Money Means Living A Little Better
Every so often I have these days where I slightly freak out and panic. Not in an anxiety way. No, no, no. It’s not sinister. It’s kind of the opposite. More like excitement. Intense. Scary. Exhilarating. Excitement. Like a ‘holy shit the world is so big and how did you pull that off and how … Continue reading PERSONALbrand IDENTITYcrisis: Risk Taking, Self Making
Slacktivism is a funny little hybrid word - a portmanteau of ‘slacker’ and ‘activism’. It applies to ‘actions taken to bring about political or social change but requiring only minimal commitment, effort, or risk’, but more generally referring to the casual liking or retweeting of political or issue-led content online in lieu of mobilising IRL. Over the … Continue reading Slacktivism: How powerful is online activism?
I’m a little bit fixated on the dynamics between inner and outer worlds at the moment. The concept of duelling of polarities within one entity. The Scots call it 'Caledonian Antisyzygy'. I don't know what you call it when you're from London.
Solitude is the school of genius. Or so said Edward Gibbon. It’s one of those widely accepted things that if you’re a writer you must be, in some way, antisocial and a little bit weird. After all, writing is supposed to be inherently solitary. Why? Because the only fingers than can put your words on … Continue reading Dear Writing Buddies, You The Best
“For last year's words belong to last year's language And next year's words await another voice.” ― T.S. Eliot. 🌟✨#HappyNewYear 2⃣0⃣1⃣6⃣✨🌟 — Bibliophilia (@Libroantiguo) December 31, 2015 I’m not usually one for New Year Resolutions. I guess because I’ve always had a very obvious direction: complete this course, finish this class, attain that grade, … Continue reading Something Like Gumption: New Year 2016
Editors are editors because they want to be - they're not going to berate you for your typos or ding your manuscript over a bad simile. They might, however, pause if they discover any of these really, really, really, irksome traits.
