Like everyone else this New Year’s morning, I’ve been drinking coffee and thinking about life. 2011 was one hell of a year. You don’t need me to tell you about the global upheaval it brought, month after month, from politics to economics to the environment. No corner of the globe was immune. But my little nook of the world saw a huge amount of change as well and, luckily for me, most of it was good. 2011 was the year when I had two books to publicise, when I ramped up the promotional side of this writing career of mine, when I started a new chapter in my life through my connection with Cambodia and all that has led to — travel throughout SE Asia, teaching at SOAS (Univ of London), developing my program of literature for social change. This year I realised that the time had come to hand my theatre company over to some one else and step away from actively producing theatrical works. And then, on top of it all, we moved house after twenty years, heading down the river to a different part of London, a completely different lifestyle.

To be sure, 2011 was, for me, a year of change, and change is good. I’d like to think that change helps keep you young (that’s my story, at least, and I’m sticking to it). But sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. So, what do I wish for for 2012? For 2012, I wish for continuity. Let this year be one where I build on what I started. Let me consolidate my thoughts and focus on improving the projects I’ve already begun. Let me make progress, rather than make change.

Wishing everyone health, happiness and perhaps some clarity of thought this new year. And do me a favour, folks….if you see me running off again all excited over some new big thing I’ve cooked up, please do what the cowardly lion begged his friends to do for him: talk me out of it.