teabreakproject

[teabreakproject]

I love seeing a project come to fruition. 🎧 . Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working on a commissioned poem for @raggededgeproductions, inspired by conversations with & between residents of Ewanrigg estate in Maryport. . This poem was then recorded by local climbing legend Bomber Thompson, and interspersed between a programme of audio of music & conversation by the wonderful Stefan Escreet - to create an Audio Adventure, which wound around the streets of Ewanrigg, while members of the community created visual performances along the route. . The project was loads of fun to be a part of, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone when the performance goes online in the near future! . (And thank you to @lorencafferty for the photo!) . #poetrycollections #amwritingpoetry #amreadingpoetry #lgbtwriter #queerwriter #wordswordswords #booklifeisagoodlife #iwroteabook #bibliophilelifestyle #igreader #readapoem #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagramcommunity #novelists #novelistsofinstagram #whatareyoureading #whatareyoureadingnow #northernbookbloggers #northernwriters #writingplace #ruralarts #writerinspiration #writerinstagram #walkingtheatre #audiotheatre #artscumbria https://instagr.am/p/CeRijUsscOM/

[teabreakproject]

Titles are hard… Does anyone have any good tips for coming up with them? . Last year, I was lucky enough to win a Northern Writers Debut Award, to work on my first poetry collection. The Award consisted of financial support, alongside mentoring, from the incredibly Malika Booker. This weekend, I had my final mentoring session, where we spread the poems from the collection out across the floor, and dug deep into the ordering. . It’s been the most incredibly rewarding experience - productive, inspiring, and has made the manuscript shine in ways that would never have been possible without that kind of guidance & support. A huge thank you to @nwnnewwritingnorth, to @andrewpoetry for selecting me for the Award, and to @malika.booker for being the best mentor and inspiration. Now just to come up with a title… . #poetrycollections #amwritingpoetry #amreadingpoetry #lgbtwriter #queerwriter #wordswordswords #booklifeisagoodlife #iwroteabook #bibliophilelifestyle #igreader #readapoem #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagramcommunity #novelists #novelistsofinstagram #whatareyoureading #whatareyoureadingnow #northernbookbloggers #northernwriters #writingplace #ruralarts #writerinspiration #writerinstagram #northernwritersawards https://instagr.am/p/CePAyLKDby_/

[teabreakproject]

I finished my poetry collection (sort of). . During my ten days at @writershousetbilisi, I’ve been working on editing my poetry collection. Or rather, I’ve been editing individual poems from my collection, based on feedback from @malika.booker - who I’ve been working with through the mentoring scheme offered by @nwnnewwritingnorth following last year’s #NorthernWritersAwards Debut Award. We have our last mentoring session this weekend, where we’ll be looking at the order of the poems - and then the book is ready to send off by the end of May! . Where am I sending it? All in good time… . #poetrycollections #amwritingpoetry #amreadingpoetry #lgbtwriter #queerwriter #wordswordswords #booklifeisagoodlife #iwroteabook #bibliophilelifestyle #igreader #readapoem #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagramcommunity #novelists #novelistsofinstagram #whatareyoureading #whatareyoureadingnow #northernbookbloggers #northernwriters #writingplace #ruralarts #writerinspiration #writerinstagram #writingresidency #writerinresidence #artistresidency #tbilisigeorgia https://instagr.am/p/CeDuk2djDLn/

[teabreakproject]

Sometimes, I think the best way to get a sense of a city is to get above it - so I took the cable car up to the fortress, for a panoramic view which stretches right across Tbilisi, all the way to the Caucasus Mountains in the distance. . #writinglifestyle #writerslifestyle #writerslifechat #beawriter #beingawriter #howtobeawriter #wordswordswords #booklifeisagoodlife #iwroteabook #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagramcommunity #novelists #novelistsofinstagram #internationalwriter #whatareyouwriting #writingplace #ruralarts #writingresidency #writerinresidence #artistresidency #writerinspiration #writerinstagram #writingtravel #writeaboutit #writeaboutnow https://instagr.am/p/Cd-NAPkDbq-/

[teabreakproject]

Good morning from the writing desk! . Yesterday we had thunderstorms here in Tbilisi, so I spend most of the day sitting here, working on the poetry collection. But today the sun is shining and the sky is back to blue, so I’m heading back into the city to explore. . #poetrycollections #amwritingpoetry #amreadingpoetry #lgbtwriter #queerwriter #wordswordswords #booklifeisagoodlife #iwroteabook #bibliophilelifestyle #igreader #readapoem #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagramcommunity #novelists #novelistsofinstagram #whatareyoureading #whatareyoureadingnow #northernbookbloggers #northernwriters #writingplace #ruralarts #writerinspiration #writerinstagram #internationalwriter #writingresidency #writerinresidence #artistresidency #tbilisigeorgia https://instagr.am/p/Cd7qt17Dg6P/

[teabreakproject]

Not a bad place to edit your poetry collection… . Last year, I was lucky enough to win the Georgia Writers’ House Prize in the @desperateliterature Competition. The prize consisted of 10 days in Tbilisi, staying at the Georgia Writers’ House. Things were delayed a bit because of Covid, but I’m delighted to finally be here, exploring the city, and writing in the beautiful quiet courtyard. The only difficulty is trying to whip these poems into shape, when all I really want to do is head out and explore! . #writinglifestyle #writerslifestyle #writerslifechat #beawriter #beingawriter #howtobeawriter #wordswordswords #booklifeisagoodlife #iwroteabook #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagramcommunity #novelists #novelistsofinstagram #internationalwriter #whatareyouwriting #writingplace #ruralarts #writingresidency #writerinresidence #artistresidency #writerinspiration #writerinstagram #writingtravel #writeaboutit #writeaboutnow #amwritingpoetry #tbilisigeorgia #georgiatravel https://instagr.am/p/Cd2rtJejKFF/

[teabreakproject]

Back to work after the loveliest of weekends - filled with good friends, walks to the lake, and a brood of fluffy ducklings. But now it’s back at the admin desk - and I’ve already had to chase the bin men down the road in my pyjamas. Going well so far, then. . #amwritingfiction #amwritingpoetry #writinglifestyle #writerslifestyle #writerslifechat #adviceforwriters #writingtipsandtricks #writingadvice #beawriter #beingawriter #howtobeawriter #wordswordswords #booklifeisagoodlife #iwroteabook #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagramcommunity #novelists #novelistsofinstagram #whatareyouwriting #ruralarts #writingresources #writingresolution #writingresource #writerinspiration #writerinstagram #writeabook #writeaboutit #writeaboutnow #writeabetterstory #writingtravel https://instagr.am/p/CdnIFPHjwtU/

[teabreakproject]

This may be the coolest present ever… A friend bought me this gorgeous #MyNameIsMonster necklace for my birthday, so of course I had to put it with its bigger siblings to create a Monster family. 📚 . 💎 from @fromnewleaf 🎧 read by Christine Hewitt 🇬🇧 from @canongatebooks 🇮🇹 @liberilibrieditrice, translated by Carla Maggiori 🇩🇪 @_s_fischer, translated by Eva Kemper 🎨 by the incredible @gillheeley at @canongate_art 🌵 graduation present from @penguinukbooks #WriteNow programme, where the novel was born . Isn’t it a gorgeous family photo? . #lgbtfiction #queerfiction #amwritingfiction #amreadingfiction #lgbtwriter #queerwriter #wordswordswords #booklifeisagoodlife #iwroteabook #bibliophilelifestyle #igreader #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagramcommunity #novelists #novelistsofinstagram #whatareyoureading #whatareyoureadingnow #northernbookbloggers #northernwriters #writingplace #ruralarts #writerinspiration #writerinstagram #speculativefiction #postapocalypticfiction https://instagr.am/p/CdX9n0DjFsX/

[teabreakproject]

I sent off Draft 5 of my novel! 🎉🎉🎉 . It’s taken me the better part of two months to get from Draft 4 to Draft 5 (with big thanks to @moniackmhor & @speclitfoundation), and I’ve cut the better part of 16,000 words to get here (and hopefully the manuscript will be all the better for it). And now I get to put my feet up for a bit while I wait to hear what @lucy_luck15’s thinks of it. . JUST KIDDING! While I wait, I have a poetry manuscript to edit, @kendalpoetryfestival to help deliver, a commission to write for @raggededgeproductions, and a residency at @writershousetbilisi. In fact, I sent the manuscript off a full damn week ago - I just haven’t got round to posting about it until now because I’ve been Busy™️. A writer’s work is never done… . Still, maybe I can celebrate while I’m working…? . #literaryfiction #bookaddicts #litfic #bookbloggersofinstagram #femaleprotagonist #femalecharacter #lgbtfiction #queerfiction #amwritingfiction #amreadingfiction #lgbtwriter #queerwriter #wordswordswords #booklifeisagoodlife #iwroteabook #bibliophilelifestyle #igreader #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagramcommunity #novelists #novelistsofinstagram #whatareyoureading #whatareyoureadingnow #northernbookbloggers #northernwriters #writingplace #ruralarts #writerinspiration #writerinstagram #speculativefiction https://instagr.am/p/CdN4pPWjHLG/

[teabreakproject]

And so ends the most incredible retreat week at @moniackmhor. I’ve spent the past four days working diligently away in this gorgeous little hobbit house, beside a roaring log-burner, and with stunning views across the valley. I didn’t quite manage to get the whole novel edited, but I’m only 70 pages from the end. Fingers crossed I can get that done and typed up soon, so it can be winging its way towards my agent by the end of next week. 🤞 . #amwritingfiction #writinglifestyle #writerslifestyle #writerslifechat #beawriter #beingawriter #howtobeawriter #wordswordswords #booklifeisagoodlife #iwroteabook #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagramcommunity #novelists #novelistsofinstagram #internationalwriter #whatareyouwriting #writingplace #ruralarts #writingresidency #writerinresidence #artistresidency #writerinspiration #writerinstagram #writingtravel #writeaboutit #writeaboutnow #discoverscotland #visitscotlandnow #scottisharts https://instagr.am/p/CcskV9HDxwE/

[teabreakproject]

I have four days to whip my second novel into shape. Let’s do this. . I’m at @moniackmhor for a week’s writing retreat, and I have a deadline looming. I have about a week before I need to send the next draft of the manuscript off to my agent, so - to allow time for typing up edits - that means I need to finish the actual editing process by the end of this retreat. Four full, intense days of writing. At least I get to do it at a beautiful desk, in gorgeous surroundings. Wish me luck! 🤞 . #amwritingfiction #writinglifestyle #writerslifestyle #writerslifechat #beawriter #beingawriter #howtobeawriter #wordswordswords #booklifeisagoodlife #iwroteabook #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagramcommunity #novelists #novelistsofinstagram #internationalwriter #whatareyouwriting #writingplace #ruralarts #writingresidency #writerinresidence #artistresidency #writerinspiration #writerinstagram #writingtravel #writeaboutit #writeaboutnow #moniackmhor https://instagr.am/p/CchoQqajmoM/

[teabreakproject]

I brought #MyNameIsMonster to the top of the UK! . The novel opens with a woman - Monster - washing up on a beach in northern Scotland, before beginning a long walk south, so it feels especially fitting to bring the paperback all the way up to the top of mainland Britain. (Ok, *almost* to the top of mainland Britain - though we did go to the actual top, Dunnet Head, for the sunset last night.) Here it is, pictured with the famous John o’ Groats sign, under a rare blue sky! https://instagr.am/p/CcdT7sPDrqv/

[teabreakproject]

Not a terrible way to start the morning - with our @airbnb host lending us his kayaks, for some glorious (if arduous) paddling at dawn. https://instagr.am/p/CcNWhk4Dp5B/

[teabreakproject]

Out of office on, and off on our adventures! After a stunning couple of days in Edinburgh (with some very dramatic weather) we’re off up north. Expecting sea, sand, and (maybe?) some sunshine! https://instagr.am/p/CcGmnJ3jmWJ/

[teabreakproject]

I’m in research mode. Spent the past couple of days taking in the exhibits at @scott.polar, and enjoying Shelly Perkins’ stunning artwork. Now I’ve brought my notebook down to the river to drink G&Ts, and put my research into practice for the second novel. https://instagr.am/p/Cbz-4v4saBs/

[teabreakproject]

Some news! I’m really excited to announce that I’m joining the @kendalpoetryfestival team as Festival Coordinator! . I volunteered for the first ever Kendal Poetry Festival in 2016, and since then have worked with the festival to create & curate the Guerrilla Poetry Projects. It’s a festival which is very close to my heart, so it’s wonderful to be becoming a more integral part of the team, and working more closely with poetry marvels @kim_moore_poet & @clareshaw1. (And don’t worry, I’ll still be doing Guerrilla Poetry again this year, so fans of the Festival Survival Kits, never fear! There will still be Kendal Mint Cake…) . Photo: @philrigby for @cumbrialifemag https://instagr.am/p/CbpGBzfD3JT/

[teabreakproject]

A beautiful birthday out at Lowther Castle! . Every time I go to Lowther Castle, I want to fill the grounds with poetry: words to discover between the ruins, the trees and the historic gardens. Mostly, I just want to sit in the woods and write. Today, though, it was all about the tree swings and the daffodils! (And of course the birthday coffee in the sun courtesy of @lorencafferty.) https://instagr.am/p/CblBOQeMOhK/