Advent meditation 2

One of the things I have learned about myself in the last year or so is that I can sometimes … More

The Kevin Jackson Award

I was privileged to meet and work with the late writer and critic Kevin Jackson in 2011. We tutored a … More

Today I had one of the most precious teaching experiences of my life. Because we are taking strike action … More

Settee in Autumn The leaves change colour and fall on the russet settee. Sticky buds are stuck … More

Dear James (may I call you James?) Though it’s been a while (at least ten years, maybe more) it feels as … More

Dear Alicia I can’t believe it is three years since I got to hang out with you at Totleigh … More

I went home the other day. I mean home-home, where I was born, and where my parents still live. … More

This is The Power and Potential of Poetry , the talk I gave today at the Somerset Literacy Network annual conference. … More

Every September is the same. I pack a bag for work, set off into the still warm sunshine, and wonder … More

I was on the phone to a writer friend the other week. In itself this is a rare occurrence: normally … More

I found myself in the position of giving feedback to some writers recently. The writers were teachers who had signed … More

I was having a coffee with a new writer friend the other day. Not having known each other for very … More

One of the more interesting paradoxes of analysing the interviews of professional writers during the Teachers as Writers (TaW) … More

It wasn’t much of a day. I was in noodle-mode, sticking things into my day book, quotes and articles and … More

If you came round for coffee these days you’d be offered decaff. Doctor’s orders, I’d say. And against my better … More

I have been thinking a lot recently about Alan Booth, my English teacher from the ages of 11 to 13. … More

I wasn’t always lazy. As I have written before, I think it became a safety valve for me around the … More

My friend and I were almost at the end of our hour together. Banana cake (me), almond croissant (him). China … More