Stuck in the Slough of Despond – Reasons for not writing

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Ten months ago, in my post, ‘Births, quilting and other reasons for not writing,’ I felt optimistic about returning to writing. However, in November, when my mum broke her kneecap and had an extended stay hospital and then moved to … Continue reading

The Four Fairies of One Tree Hill

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Firstly, I wish you all a Happy New Year. Since my last post, time has done that peculiar thing where it slows down and speeds up at the same time. My mum has been in hospital in South London since … Continue reading

Female Fantasy Fiction Writers

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Writing about Neil Gaiman and Alan Garner in my last post caused me to revisit Anne McCaffrey’s fantasy books. I read most of these in my early twenties, borrowing them from the public library. I would suggest starting with Dragonflight, … Continue reading

The Importance of Reading Fiction as Championed by Neil Gaiman

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I’m going to be quoting today from a lecture given by Neil Gaiman for The Reading Agency delivered on 14th October 2013 at the Barbican in London. If you would like to read the abridged version of this lecture as … Continue reading

Births, Quilting and Other Excuses for Not Writing

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This past month I have had lots of time to read, but the writing has disappeared out the window. These are my excuses: Too excited, awaiting for the birth of my first grandchild – and the owners of the Spanish … Continue reading

The Last Watch of the Night

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Excuse this blog if it’s not strictly about writing. I have been in Spain for three weeks awaiting the arrival of my first grandchild. She arrived nine days ago, later than expected. I expect all grannies, nannies, grandmothers, grand-meres and … Continue reading

Elephants in South London

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I started at Dog Kennel Hill Primary School in South London in January 1960 when I was four and three quarter years old. The playground was split into two sections, one for the infants and the other for the junior … Continue reading

From the Forest to the Sea – Emily Carr in British Columbia

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If you’re in London, try to visit, ‘From the Forest to the Sea,’ an exhibition of paintings, sketchbooks, writings and drawings by Emily Carr (1871-1945) It is the first UK exhibition dedicated to her work and is organised by the … Continue reading

Who Do You Think You Are?

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Have you considered using a pseudonym? I decided to use J.M.Dallimore as my writing name in 2011; it was my maternal grandmother’s name. All the other surnames in our family rate as some of the most popular in the United … Continue reading