Creative Writing Magic: a fun and festive introductory workshop in central Barcelona. Spark the magic with simple but powerful creativity and writing tools. Click here for more information.
“Whenever we Costa Brits became weary of sun, sea and sangria, tired of bright beach umbrellas, blue skies, palm trees, bead curtains, and dinner at midnight, we would go over to Debbie and David’s. Debbie’s chintzy little villa with its garden gnomes, crocheted toilet seat covers and heavy velveteen curtains was a home from home, a true haven, for the
Ever since I was a depressed, angst-ridden teenager in Manchester, I’ve zoned out / self-soothed / chilled out by wandering round shops. So when I read about the wonderful Artist’s Date tool in Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, I thought: I already do that. Costume jewellery and art supplies, fabric departments and toy shops, tropical fish and flower stalls… it’s
“Cicero,” declared my grammar school classics teacher, “was an old windbag.” And that’s when it all came alive. I was a straight A student – Latin, Greek and Ancient History. What most people don’t know is that I failed my Ancient History exams at Cambridge. I’d never been that good at history, which wasn’t helped by our excruciatingly boring ‘normal’
When my mum came to pick me up after my scary first morning at primary school, I pretended I had not left a puddle on the brown polished wood floor of the classroom. If I pretended it wasn’t there, no one would see it. But childen’s magic doesn’t work for grownups.
When we talk about books, reading and writing, my mum always remembers an episode from one of those wonderful novels by H.E. Bates (probably The Darling Buds of May) where Ma Larkin makes jam tarts.
