Author diaries

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2 June 2004 Entry: "Readings and races"

Can't believe it's so long since I added a diary entry. My excuse is that I've been busy. Coming back to work after being in Malawi was really depressing, just the thought of spending so much time at my desk at work when what I really want to do is write. So my meeting with Claire Malcolm of New Writing North and the writer Sara Maitland was really welcome. Sara is going to be my mentor for the next 10 months (if all goes well) as we work on my short stories. I'm really looking forward to this and as part of my research am busy reading more short stories than usual. I've just finished Sara's latest collection On Becoming a Fairy Godmother and Daphne Glazer's The Wardrobe. Enjoyed both, although I think the clothing theme in The Wardrobe became a bit samey, probably because of the order of the stories.
I've also been busy with poems. I enjoyed writing my sugar poem, Strip, which is now in the Poem of the Month section of this website. Last week I ran two workshop at Blaydon West Primary School as part of the Blaydon Races Festival. We were writing about races and running, which was particularly relevant as the day before I'd taken part in the Race for Life at Saltwell Park in aid of Cancer Research. Thanks to Claire for suggesting it and for her company. We walked, we jogged - and maybe next year I might run. Thanks also to everyone who sponsored me, especially Denise.
I'm busy producing booklets of the kids' poems for their reading at Blaydon Library on Tuesday 8th June. Mustn't forget the refreshments - or the fact I've still to sort out what I'm reading at Gateshead the following evening.