More than Writers

The lawn at the entry to Trinity College, where the book event was held. The lawn was dug over by Extinction Rebellion protestors - but that’s another story! Picture credit The Telegraph. I had the privilege, at the beginning of this week, of attending an event featuring a new volume of poems entitled ‘After Prayer’ by the poet Malcolm Guite. The opening sequence in the book is a thought-provoking collection of twenty-seven sonnets by Malcolm, each of which is a response to one of the phrases in George Herbert’s sonnet ‘Prayer’. At least two of those phrases will probably resonate with people who have never, or only in passing, encountered George Herbert’s work: ‘Heaven in ordinarie’ and for entirely different reasons, ‘something understood’. Malcolm guided us through his and Herbert’s work with skill, joy and an infectious Godliness. It was good to be there. Whoever organised the launch had thought wonderfully creatively about the venue, holding it in the chapel...

Last week, I celebrated my birthday by signing my first book contract. It's nerve-wrackingly exciting, but I wanted to share a little of my journey towards it, lest anyone think it has been quick or easy. It has not. Things started midway through 2017, I believe, in one of those late-night sessions where something has inspired you and won't let you go to bed until it's been transferred from your head to a Word document. (Everyone has these inspired niggles, right?) And then I forgot all about it, this half-finished, atypical piece of writing for children (my writing had exclusively been for adults up to this point). Until January 2018. This was the month when I started to get serious about my writing, started to push doors and see whether God might want me to pursue this as a career. The unfinished book came back into mind, so I finished it. (Don't be impressed: it's written for 4-7s, it's hardly War and Peace .) And then I sent it to my hands-down f...

In this blog I want to share about the healing process of writing my new book The Father's Kiss.  I sense that some of you, like me, are feeling afraid of stepping out, maybe because its a new style  of writing?  or maybe because its potentially unlocking of buried hurts or struggles in your life?  God wants to encourage you to take that step and not hold back. In His hands our greatest weaknesses can become His most beautiful channels of grace. He says to you 'Take my hand and step into what I've called you to be.  I will help and empower you.  Am I not the creator within you, so go ahead with confidence and joy.' So, me.... I am in an in-between place at the moment.  An exciting one but rather scary too.  I'm about to publish my new book The Father's Kiss and that feels like an amazing step. Something new has been birthed, formed over 4 years from deep within me. Do you find that as you write, searching your hea...