It’s been almost seven years since I started ‘Emerson Write’. Here’s how it happened.

An excursion into biography at speed…

If you’re looking for a simple, enjoyable way to slow things down, a daily write could be the answer.

I read somewhere that Russian women used to a carry a ‘perhaps bag’, an extra in case they bought or were given something they needed to stow away. I have a ‘perhaps shelf’.

For me, this is the new year, the turn of time that I have been waiting for. Cold, clear days of yellow leaves and berries. Storms and rain. Woodsmoke and peace.

We have just passed the longest day of the year. Last week saw dire warnings about UV levels, pollen and sunstroke throbbing away in the news. Now, there is a breeze and cool, delicious rain is falling…

We dress for the seasons. We eat with the seasons. So how about reading seasonally too?

I suppose this isn’t such a bad time (sorry…) to be writing about time.

The thing is, not all of us run hot. I certainly don’t. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been excited by winter. It has a quieter beauty than the rest of the year, and it feels like a refuge.

You know how you come into a house that’s just been professionally cleaned, and it looks better than you’ve ever managed to get it? That’s what a good writer will do with your project.

Last year, I worked with Somerville College, Oxford to write their new history. Here’s what I learned along the way.

A friend once said to me, ‘Everything will be alright once I have my blue and white life’.

When it comes to typefaces, I find that I want something firm, and plain, with a little hint of vintage.

Lately, I’ve fallen in love with the countryside all over again. I never fell out of love with it, but for a long time, I had an on-again, off-again affair with cities and towns. Exciting, thrilling, but I never felt that I was truly home. 

What does being a writer boil down to? For me, it’s about three things: thinking clearly, sorting out your finances and, last (but definitely not least), being kind. This is how it looks.