Why I Blog.
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It's part of what it is to be human. It's central to Darwin's Origin of Species, The Theory of Evolution, the nature of family. Everyone's a self promoter. The child promotes it's needs Read more [...]
An Intimate Fan
The documentary I made on Gil Scott-Heron in 2009 was a struggle. The radio producer and I did not get along. The company she worked for approached Gil about the documentary and he said he would only Read more [...]
At a Lighthouse in Norway
Sunday London at four am under a blue blood sky a taxi furrows the city through the swaying flotsam and jetsam of the night before. Or not. A West African woman indifferent to dawn in a blue silk pencil Read more [...]
The Librarian
Just days ago I’d said to Suzette Newman - who was once Bob Marley’s tour manager - that if Gil Scott Heron died then the timing would be perfect. I wake at 7am to the crippling news on BBC radio Read more [...]
Tidal Waves and Island Life.
9am, Wednesday morning. I’m at Waldegrave High School for Girls in Twickenham and there’s two hundred thirteen and fourteen year olds looking at me expectantly. I’m on stage in the main hall. Read more [...]
The Broad Horizon.
I’m panicking cause there's no audience. I’ve booked nine artists to work this Tuesday afternoon at the launch of my Superheroes Project including the headline poet and broadcaster Michael Rosen. Read more [...]
The BBC Broadcast and The Tannoy Warning
It’s 9am on a Monday morning. I’m in the BBC studio on the drive time show at BBC Berkshire in Reading. I woke at five pm to be here. The interview is connected to Handle With Care. It’s a BBC Berkshire Read more [...]
Fighting Fog
Jake Arnott, Deborah Moggach, Bidisha William Feinnes and I are at The Pavillion Theatre tonight for The Brighton Festival. It’s my second time here in two weeks. We are reading Writing For Freedom Read more [...]
Automated Light
Strange occurrences. Tonight I was driving home from an event for English PEN at the Pavilion as part of Brighton Festival. In a flash the night became a negative, an xray. White trees curled over the Read more [...]
Superheroes and The Sea: two projects begin.
It was a meeting at Metal in Southend On Sea where I came up with the idea of a Literature Festival of The Sea. Jude Kelly came up with the name Shorelines, The World’s First Literature Festival of Read more [...]