#atinylife write what you know

I am just settling back down to work. Chapter two of Novel number 4 – a woman sits in an office, trying to work on her PhD. Her phone rings: it’s her mother in law. Her phone rings again: this time it’s her friend.

The Spotify playlist I’m ignoring stops playing, my phone rings.

It’s Mr HB. Well, it’s Mr HB’s phone. My youngest had asked if he could ring, and Mr HB thought he wanted to say hello and ‘some other nice things.’

Fat chance. He had rung to tell me how bad his day had been.

Then Mr HB told me the oldest had been in trouble again. I listened as they lost screen for the afternoon and melted down.

Mr HB apologised. I went back to work. The woman got some work done. Her phone was silent: for now.

#atinylife book week 2019

Next week is Book Week Scotland!

It’s a great chance to get out and about in the writing/reading community. Get inspired, make connections, give yourself an enthusiasm boost as the nights start to draw in.

This year, on Tuesday (21/11/19) I’m at one of my closest libraries: the John Gray Centre in Haddington. Fitting, as our topic is ‘Local Blethers‘! Myself, Rebecca McKinney, and Charlie Laidlaw will be talking inspiration, setting and how our localities feed into our writing. We’ll be blethering from 6pm-7:30pm and the event is free.

On Thursday I’m taking up my new position as co-host of Listen, Softly: Edinburgh. This isn’t just a one-off Book Week visit, I’m joining Claire and Dom to help with programming, sound, and the usual ‘any-other-duties-as-required!’ I’m excited and honoured to be involved in this popular addition to Edinburgh’s spoken word scene.

#atinylife privilege

As a woman with mental health issues, and the parent of an enby kid, I’m often aware of other people’s male-cis-het-ableist privilege.

Today, however, I have the most privilege I’ve ever felt in my life.

• I am in an air bnb (financially secure enough for this, and multiple trips to Tesco for cashews and vegan chocolate)
• for two nights (not in a nine-five with four weeks of holiday a year)
• my children being looked after by their dad (co-parenting: surely the ultimate privilege?)
• writing (able to pursue this un-lucrative work for many years now)
• listening to music and podcasts (having decided I can afford Spotify: currently on free trial)
• and reading (only one was free from the library).

This is heaven.

This. An accident of birth, and race,  cisgendered heterosexual marriage, and secure family that led me to this point.

#atinylife Autumn Song

Autumn: I wake before the sun rises.

Warm myself on a cup of tea,

the feeling of my hands across the keyboard,

the central heating’s clicks and taps.

The sun’s light pierces clouds ruffled

on the horizon,

reminding me it’s still here

even at this turn of the year.

Rising into the sky, all blue and white

and blue and white

and falling leaves. Rain comes on

from nowhere, and I shut the window tight,

watch the leaves, pushed off

by the wind to fall with the raindrops,

to end up slicked, shining on the concrete.

By teatime, the sun is gone again.

Pink clouds wrestle with the oranges,

the yellows, the browns of the trees.

Red berries are picked out

in the evening light. Drops rest on the branches,

 

the rooks fly over like factory workers, heading for home.