Authors Electric

 Do you remember a time when we believed that all the new-fangled modern devices would save us time? We seem to be busier than ever – especially as writers. We have become slaves to our phones, with algorithms that suck us into rabbit holes. It’s research we protest – who are we kidding? If we’ve actually reached the dizzy heights of publishing a book, we have to promote it, find ways to market it and of course sell it – these days being an author demands we wear so many other hats – publicist, bookseller, inspirational speaker. This is the stage I am at. My first book, my memoir, was out in January. “You can’t be a one hit wonder!” said my brother at the time – Cue Chesney Hawkes singing “The One and Only” – if you are of a certain vintage you will understand. But when do I find time to write? What better plan that to take a retreat and carve out some dedicated writing time. No dishes to wash, no meals to plan, no distractions. I’ve taken a retreat in November befo...

First Impressions Like most writers, I have done my fair share of speaking at literary festivals. In 2017, for example, I went from the humongous Singapore Literary Festival (which had concurrent panels for three days and a dedicated Artist Liason Officer (ALO) to escort me to the correct venue), to the much smaller Neustadt Festival in Oklahoma with nine speakers. All literary festivals have something to offer the writer and the reader, but I personally enjoy the cozier festivals more. There is something about being thrown together in close proximity for a few days, usually in the same cozy hotel, that encourages a special kind of literary friendship to blossom. L to R: Polly, Amy, Peter, Sheena, Annabel, Dipika, Jenny, Louisa Gladstone's Hearth Festival in 2018, held from February 3-4 in Wales, was just such a festival. My fellow speakers were Annabel Abbs , Sheena Wilkinson and Jenny Lewis . Polly Atkin  was writer-in-residence in February. I learnt a lot f...