It seems silly to be here talking about burnout. In some ways, the term seems such a first world invention. We don’t live in a country ravaged by war or environmental disasters. We have the money to feed, clothe and house our family. We have opportunities to learn and prosper. Burnout is self-inflicted, isn’t it?… Read More What is Burnout and What is Just Life?
Yesterday, my mum confided to me that she’d never felt the need to compete for status. I admire her gentle ways. She does her absolute best in her own lane and doesn’t worry about the rest of the field. I don’t recall ever seeing actively compete in relationships or at work. She rarely craves anything… Read More Human Nature and the Tussle of Competition
For a long time, I’ve been trying to find some balance in my writing life. A balance between finding enough time for my passion and stopping it bleeding into family time. A balance between creating words and reading them. A balance between consuming story-telling in books and story-telling on screens. A balance between my words… Read More Finding Balance and Genre News
Since leaving a nine to five job, I’ve grown more introverted. My extroversion, necessary for my previous job, was always a skill learned from being part of a big, boisterous family. Today, I prefer interactions in smaller groups. Large gatherings feed my curiosity about people but are ultimately draining. In a world full of megaphones,… Read More Writerly Introversion and the Power of Silence
I didn’t make a concrete plan at the beginning of this year. I knew I had a novel to write this year, perhaps two, but other than that, I thought I would just be. The political landscape has been so tough these past few years, so draining, that living in the moment sometimes seems like… Read More Coming Out of Hibernation
It’s the start of a new year. We leave behind a year that many of us won’t miss, a year which seemed relentless with global news and human meanness. I realise now, there is a limit to our control. We can stand up for our beliefs, we can make art, and treat others with kindness… Read More In 2019, Just Be
Today, there’s a bottle of red wine at the ready on my counter because I’m celebrating the launch of Hidden Colours, my book about an imaginary immigrant circus in Berlin. Yusuf’s story is about compassion and grief, and how a little kindness can have a big impact. What a whirlwind it has been writing this novel… Read More Hidden Colours is Finally Here!
Today, for In the Armchair, I’ll be talking to one of my dearest friends Lynz Crichton about her music career. Lynz also generously agreed to write a track to accompany my new novel Hidden Colours, which will be released next week. I’ll link to the track at the end of our interview. 1. Tell us… Read More In the Armchair: Lynz Crichton, Singer-Songwriter
All the Tomorrows is a year old today, can you believe it? To celebrate, the e-book will be reduced to £1.99/$1.99 until 12 November, and the UK paperback is discounted too. The book has found lots of fans, and I’d love it to reach even more readers. If you haven’t yet grabbed your copy,… Read More First Book Birthday: All the Tomorrows
Today, as part of a new blog series called In the Armchair, where I’ll be talking to creatives, I’d like to introduce Richard Robbins to you all. Richard is a fellow author of literary fiction at Evolved Publishing. I interviewed him about his novel Love, Loss, and Lagniappe, which has been receiving glowing advanced reviews… Read More In the Armchair: Richard Robbins
I’ve been thinking recently about superstitions. How even in our post-enlightenment, educated world, with reams of information and expertise at our fingertips, superstitions still have a strong hold. I’m a logical woman and yet sometimes superstitions creep up on me like a beacon from a past life. Bad luck superstitions Superstitions, of course, are beliefs… Read More Superstitions, Intellect and the Unseen
Do you believe that each of us has a unique gift to share with the world? I do. I look at my children now and am aware of the responsibility to introduce them to new experiences and knowledge so they can uncover their passions and begin to understand who they are at their core. Recently… Read More On Self-Discovery
Those of you who follow me on social media may have heard me talk about Hidden Colours, my next literary fiction novel. It has now seen my wonderful editor’s magic pen and is due to be released in early December. I’m so excited and nervous to see it make its way in the world. Hidden… Read More Cover Reveal – Hidden Colours
Sadness comes the cresting of a wave on a quiet beach catching us unawares like the sting of a wasp on tender flesh Sadness finds us between rumpled sheets though we smooth them out a creeping vine with the stealth of a summer wind chilling to frost Sadness slips into the crevices of … Read More Tender Flesh
I first heard of the British Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie in 2012, although by then she’d been published for over a decade. I spotted a story about her in The Guardian after she’d spent a few days at Artangel’s A Room for London project, when a boat was mounted on top of the Southbank Centre,… Read More Literary Loves: Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
It was a joy to play with some flash fiction today, courtesy of Charli Mills’ wonderful community at The Carrot Ranch. Those of you who have read this blog since the early days, when I was just starting to build relationships with other writers on Twitter, know flash fiction has always been a love of… Read More 99 Words Flash Fiction: The Lesser Sister
I wrote this piece of flash fiction a few months ago, and at first I wasn’t going to share it. I don’t often talk about religion here, unless it comes up in the context of my characters. There are so many facets of identity, and for me, being Muslim is one of them. Personal faith… Read More No Ordinary Boy
When I was twelve years old, sleepovers were a giddy affair of crumpled clothing, whispered secrets and superhuman effort forcing sleeping bags back into their cases. Then came a run of horror movies and it seemed no adults really had oversight over what we watched. I expect we were very sneaky. In quick succession, we… Read More From Fear to a Love of Clowns
I am sad. There I said it. I don’t like to be the sad one. Not that there’s anything wrong with being sad: we all feel like this sometimes, and some more than others. In fact, I’d argue that if you don’t feel sad sometimes then your skin is probably too thick, and you might… Read More Sadness
I’m nearing the end of the first draft of Hidden Colours, my second novel, scheduled to be released in late autumn. The novel is set in modern day Berlin. My husband is from Berlin and we studied there together, and sometimes we dream about living there again, but that’s a story for another day. I’ve… Read More Personal Histories: A Little Boy and a Can of Coke