Writing

49 Posts
Interweavings, a Writing Residency

Interweavings, a Writing Residency

At the Taiwan Literature Base in Taipei

Wayward Distractions - Review

Wayward Distractions - Review

A review article in the International Journal of Asian Studies

Purple Mangoes

Purple Mangoes

On Zhuangzi, Death and Meaning

The Cradle of Taiwanese Culture

The Cradle of Taiwanese Culture

A piece for BBC travel on the hybridity of Taiwanese culture

Storytelling and the Liberal Arts and Sciences

Storytelling and the Liberal Arts and Sciences

A new guide from LAS Collab.

Hello, Stranger in Chinese

Hello, Stranger in Chinese

My book, Hello, Stranger, is now 你好,陌生人

Everyday Metamorphoses

Everyday Metamorphoses

Creative writing, Kafka, and the art of waking up in the morning

Bad Diagnoses: What’s Wrong With Writer’s Block.

Bad Diagnoses: What’s Wrong With Writer’s Block.

Writer’s block exists. But it is not a useful diagnosis.

Nourishing Tainan | 滋養台南

Nourishing Tainan | 滋養台南

A residency exploring food, stories and the philosophy of everyday life.

Dragon-Carving for Writers: Read the work online

Dragon-Carving for Writers: Read the work online

A British Council funded project, working with seven writers and translators from the UK and China.

Residency at Nanning Literature House

Residency at Nanning Literature House

This December, I'll be at the Nanning literature house in Tainan on a 10-day residency.

Freedom to Write Retreat 2023

Freedom to Write Retreat 2023

This June, I'm guest writer with Freedom to Write, talking about ethics and nonfiction.

Moving to Taiwan

Moving to Taiwan

From August this year, I'll be in the city of Tainan, running some fun writing projects.

Dragon-carving for Writers

Dragon-carving for Writers

Literature and creativity in translation, funded by British Council Connections Through Culture

Award Shortlisting for Hello, Stranger

Award Shortlisting for Hello, Stranger

My book, Hello, Stranger, has been shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Awards.

We Have Tired of Violence: Review in the TLS

We Have Tired of Violence: Review in the TLS

A review of Matt Easton's new book in the TLS

Bootleg Copies of my Book are Available in Iran, and I’m Okay With That

Bootleg Copies of my Book are Available in Iran, and I’m Okay With That

For all the divisiveness of global politics, books have the power to connect

Awakening Between the Lines Exhibition

Awakening Between the Lines Exhibition

An exhibition of artwork from women survivors with commissioned artwork from some of Bulgaria's most talented illustrators.

Hello, Stranger: Coming Soon in German

Hello, Stranger: Coming Soon in German

My book, Hello, Stranger, is coming out in German!

Hello, Stranger in Paperback

Hello, Stranger in Paperback

My book, Hello, Stranger, is coming out in Paperback

Oh, Reader Magazine: Reading in Another Tongue

Oh, Reader Magazine: Reading in Another Tongue

I've got a piece in the latest Oh, Reader magazine, on reading in languages you know badly.

The Snorgh and the Sailor: Now in Polish

The Snorgh and the Sailor: Now in Polish

My children's book, The Snorgh and the Sailor, is now published in Polish translation.

Snapshots of Museum Experience: The Korean Foreword

Snapshots of Museum Experience: The Korean Foreword

Elee Kirk's brilliant study of education and childhood experience in museums is now available in Korean translation.

Hello, Stranger - Now in Korean

Hello, Stranger - Now in Korean

My book, HELLO, STRANGER, is now published in Korean.

Hello, Stranger to be BBC Radio4 Book of the Week

Hello, Stranger to be BBC Radio4 Book of the Week

Tune in to find out about Hello, Stranger

Elee Kirk: Snapshots of a Life in Museums

Elee Kirk: Snapshots of a Life in Museums

In Memory of Elee Kirk

Guardian Review of HELLO, STRANGER

Guardian Review of HELLO, STRANGER

A cracking review of HELLO, STRANGER in the Guardian

Take Five Books

Take Five Books

Five book recommendations about hospitality and the art of living alongside strangers.

How Writing Opens Up New Spaces in a Crowded World

How Writing Opens Up New Spaces in a Crowded World

When the marketplace of words seems crowded, the best remedy is to keep on writing

Creativity on the Academic Margins: Podcast

Creativity on the Academic Margins: Podcast

A podcast interview about writing, creativity and the challenges of teaching in multilingual environments, with Dr Tim Hannigan.

New Book Chapter: A Rude People Subjected to No Restraint

New Book Chapter: A Rude People Subjected to No Restraint

A new book chapter, in Travel Writing in An Age of Global Quarantine edited by Gary Fisher and David Robinson.

The Art of Waiting: Tove Jansson’s Moominvalley in November

The Art of Waiting: Tove Jansson’s Moominvalley in November

A masterpiece of children’s literature about grief, friendship, human difference, and the art of waiting.

On Bread and Fiction

On Bread and Fiction

Writing fiction is like making bread. You need to know when to knead it, and when to just let it rise.

The Solitude of Books

The Solitude of Books

In a world obsessed with conversation, physical books bring us solitude and freedom.

Amateurism, Professionalism and the Art of Creativity

Amateurism, Professionalism and the Art of Creativity

If you want to create, you need to be professional. But you also need to be an amateur.

BBC Travel piece on Plovdiv and the art of making space

BBC Travel piece on Plovdiv and the art of making space

Bulgaria's second city has a reputation for doing things its own way.

Writing Without the Hard Grind

Writing Without the Hard Grind

Writing doesn't have to involve misery.

Nietzsche’s Ten Commandments for Writers

Nietzsche’s Ten Commandments for Writers

Advice on writing from the most literary of all philosophers.

Architecture & Conjuring: How to Build Convincing Worlds

Architecture & Conjuring: How to Build Convincing Worlds

Two approaches to world-building

‘Good for Publicity’: My Book Reading from Hell

‘Good for Publicity’: My Book Reading from Hell

A horror story from the wilds of Suffolk

Calvino’s Surprising Advice on Writing, Editing and Life

Calvino’s Surprising Advice on Writing, Editing and Life

How to stop getting weighed down.

The Snorgh Gets a Makeover

The Snorgh Gets a Makeover

The Snorgh and the Sailor is being re-released on the 12th anniversary of its first publication

Lucy and the Rocket Dog

Lucy and the Rocket Dog

A story of a girl, her dog, and the here, there and everywhereness of space

The Flaws of Writers

The Flaws of Writers

The medieval Chinese writer on the flaws of writers.

On Vacation: Reeling in the Mind

On Vacation: Reeling in the Mind

Nourishing life to nourish your writing, and nourishing writing to nourish your life.

Storytellers and Anthroplogists

Storytellers and Anthroplogists

Thoughts on storytelling and anthropology

Complete Write a Novel Course

Complete Write a Novel Course

A comprehensive guide to writing that first novel.

Big Beasts, Little Beasts, and the Value of Creative Writing

Big Beasts, Little Beasts, and the Value of Creative Writing

Creative writing teaching is about more than churning out big-shot novelists.

The Descent of the Lyre

The Descent of the Lyre

A tale of music, myth and sainthood, from the hills of Bulgaria