Category: British Women Writers
I’m Not a Feminist, but….
By writing this I am effectively grabbing my big pink, shiny can-opener (the one made especially for girls) and brandishing it at one of the biggest can of worms there is, so if the F-word offends you, stop reading now. There’s a feeling that you have to be part of an intellectual elite to talk […]
A Writer’s Journey
It all started during a trip to New Zealand six years ago. My husband and I flew from London to Auckland and then drove from the North Island to the South and back again. The trip lasted six weeks and we lodged in homestays, the Kiwis’ version of B&Bs but much more homely. Not wanting to […]
Molluscs and Me, a Slow Process
It was a long slow painful process to move from writing textbooks about care to writing stories that would grip a reader. I spent 15 years writing expertly without emotion to engage students in academic debate. But I did collect case studies to show how it feels to be on the receiving end of care. […]
Poetry, a reflex, a knee-jerk
I began writing very early on. As a child it was all I looked forward to in literacy classes. Evenings I’d spend in my fairylight-lit den, scribbling stories about imaginary places and characters that felt more real than any friends I had at school. It was only when I got to secondary school that I […]
Let Me Tell You Why I Write …
“Let me tell you one thing about why writers write: had I known the answer to any of these questions I would never have needed to write a novel.” Joan Didion I understand what Joan Didion means – you wouldn’t write a novel, would you, if you could possibly avoid it? Because as all mere […]
Elephants Dancing in My Tummy: And The Angels Cried
I have a herd of elephants dancing in my tummy; my head aches and I am intermittently overcome by a wave of panic which starts at my toes and oozes from my fingers as I type; I’m not sleeping too well either. I’m not ill or on drugs – unless you count the medicinal Pinot […]
Brutal – A Story of Abuse by a Muslim Imam
I was just seven years old when the imam at my local mosque began to sexually abuse me. The abuse happened on an almost daily basis and lasted for four years. The imam was the most powerful man in our community and I was terrified of him. He told me that I was special and singled […]
Media Ready Media Savvy by Alison Hill
Most writers feel that our work is to create the best book we can, and then we’re done, well, besides getting an agent or a publisher. But the success of that huge journey to write our best book is tied to your efforts in capturing the words and messages about your book that will create […]
Harnessing The Muse – How To Stay Inspired
Art is anything and everything that stirs the emotions. To create art requires an understanding of emotion; a clear sense of how lived experience impacts and expresses our inner world. We writers, like every other type of artist, gain inspiration from the world around us and from our own experiences. A lot of people believe […]
Writing in Stolen Time: 10 Ways to Create Time (Literally)!
‘How on earth did you find time to write a novel? You’ve got kids!’ This is a question I have been asked frequently since publishing my debut novel, The Girl who Came Home. I sometimes wonder myself! But, having wondered, I’ve realised that when you have a passion to do something, there isn’t much which […]
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