The lost art of writing love letters
Last year on our first wedding anniversary, my husband gave me a love letter, folded into a tiny square tucked in turn into a tiny envelope like something out of the Borrowers, left for me to find. He may cringe at me telling you this, but it was rather lovely. It was rather perfect. I...
Airport frisking
On my way home from Copenhagen a few weeks ago, I got frisked at the airport. I set the security buzzer off. No big deal, it happens sometimes. Then this guy came along, pointed at a stool, told me to stand on it and proceded to frisk me, front and back. I totally get that...
Rape: Pakistan must look in the mirror
How many more children and women must be raped before Pakistan takes action and protects its women?
My New Year’s resolutions
So, I decided to make some New Year's resolutions. For the first time ever.
Psychologies Short Story competition: highly commended!
Thrilled to be chosen out of 743 entrants as one of the three highly commended writers in this fantastic short story competition run by Psychologies magazine
Love thy library
Today, I joined my local library in Islington. It took three attempts, but I finally now own a white plastic card that signifies my membership (although I am slightly gutted that I smudged the biro when writing my name on it). My first attempt to join the library was online – I tried filling out...
Death: Southbank Centre’s Festival for the Living
This weekend, I took part in a panel discussion about the afterlife, and what it feels like to be bereaved, at the Southbank’s slightly sinister-sounding festival on death. Except, it wasn’t sinister at all. Even though we were talking about death, dying, losing loved ones, it was actually hugely uplifting; as one of my fellow...
“It is everyone’s moral duty to help someone if they are being persecuted for their religion”
I have been sitting on this story for over year. I think it's a good story, and one that needs to be told. So here it is. A tale of solidarity from a time of darkness.
Calling all interiors journos…
I’ve lost count of how many “How the fashion editors dress”/”What our fashion team wears to work” features ever since the likes of The Devil Wears Prada came along and made working on a magazine seem glamorous. But as someone who is always peeping through windows to see how other people live, I’d rather sneak...
On being freelance
Finally. Today I have a byline in the paper, the Independent to be precise. I’ll post the piece separately straight after writing this, but I’ll admit I’m relieved. Not least because I’ve not had a byline since early November. That’s the thing about being freelance: unlike ‘normal’, employed people you can’t just book three weeks...