It’s been almost seven years since I started ‘Emerson Write’. Here’s how it happened.
Read MorePotted lives
An excursion into biography at speed…
Read MoreThe write answer
If you’re looking for a simple, enjoyable way to slow things down, a daily write could be the answer.
Read MoreThe Christmas books
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’.
Read MoreReading the seasons: autumn
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.
Read MoreReading the seasons: summer
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…
Read MoreReading the seasons: spring
We dress for the seasons. We eat with the seasons. So how about reading seasonally too?
Read MoreThe shape of time
I suppose this isn’t such a bad time (sorry…) to be writing about time.
Read MoreSnow queen
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.
Read MoreCleaning up
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.
Read MoreTelling tales: how to voice an institution
Last year, I worked with Somerville College, Oxford to write their new history. Here’s what I learned along the way.
Read MoreBlue and white life
A friend once said to me, ‘Everything will be alright once I have my blue and white life’.
Read MoreThe quick brown fox…
When it comes to typefaces, I find that I want something firm, and plain, with a little hint of vintage.
Read More"twelve yellow apples"
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.
Read MoreOn meaning, means and being mean
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.
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