I met a gentle heroine of mine - Cathy Tyson a wonderful actor who recently visited Ethiopia and whom I have secretly been a fan of for many years. She said she was a fan of mine too. But I am sure she was just being nice. Read more [...]

So what does it take for jewish writer Kurt Weill to choose such contentious subject matter and explore it within this populist format. Imagine a musical today on a story in Rawanda or Bosnia. It wouldn’t happen in the west end. Read more [...]

It’s a good day. At the end I cycle home and as I pass an alleyway a guy with dreadlocks and white hat runs out into the road across it and away. I saw him throw something. It was a purse. Thieves take out the credit cards and throw the evidence away. I stop on the road and take my bike up the alleyway. Maybe there was some woman in shock! I look up the narroway a white stocky man with a walkytalky is running towards me Read more [...]

Today The Journalist and I went to see Marcus Brigstock’s SUNDAY ROAST at The Udderbelly on The Southbank. It was hilarious. Read more [...]

The Poetry Society has just created its first ever viral video! The video is being used to promote the Foyle Young Poets of the Year competition for which I am a selector. The deadline is for entries on Read more [...]

At four am my eyelids roll back and morning pours in. By four forty five am I received a text “your car is outside and the driver is called Alfred.” I could hear it purring outside the front door. At 5am we sped through London to Bush House and The World Service. I used the journey for supplementary research on the news stories for The World Today. Read more [...]

“excuse me” I asked. Brian continued his discussion. Unmoving he held up a leaflet for me to take. I held out my hand in the the manner to say no thanks and said “no thanks”. But brian didn’t move “Would you take a leaflet” he replied still holding the leaflet. “No thanks” I replied “I noticed your attitude earlier ” he said. I paused to let his words settle. Did he just say that. Read more [...]

I have had the honour to read alongside Patti Smith twice before. Once at the Southbank and once as part of Cries from The Heart where Smith had the audience both in the palm of her hand and on their feet in ovation. Read more [...]

I danced when you sang laughed when you lept Waited for you to come home, screamed when you left You. Take your secrets to your death, It is not for me to forgive nor forget. Read more [...]

but the dentist noticed a wisdom tooth that had to come out. This was the most stressful job of all. It took fifteen to twenty minutes and two different plyers. His winching and wincing heavy breathing and huffing and puffing surrounded me as my head yanked from side to side. Read more [...]