Cambodian Monsoon

Cambodian Monsoon

For the first few years of my coming to Cambodia, I came during the dry season. I remember one talk I was giving at the International School in Phnom Penh when, after the students had finished with their questions, the teacher turned to me and asked if I had any...
Back East

Back East

I’m now back in Cambodia for a busy couple of weeks splitting my time between Writing Through and Anjali House. I can tell you that it’s a much longer trip to SE Asia from New York than it is from London. The jet lag was pretty intense, but after five days...
Getting Into Your Writing Head

Getting Into Your Writing Head

I can’t even begin to say how much stuff there is in my head — not necessarily useful stuff, mind you, but the kind of stuff that feels important and necessary at the time. Over the past few years, I have gotten used to juggling lots of different...
Navigating Through the Storms

Navigating Through the Storms

At the beginning of July, we moved out of the UK. That move after 26 years — a lifetime, really — coincided with the storm brought about by the Brexit referendum. There’s no need to describe what that was like. Anyone likely to be reading this blog...

Where Do Poems Come From?

Here’s a little story….. In 2008, when I was promoting my first novel, Tangled Roots, I was interviewed by a BBC affiliate radio station. It was one of my first ever radio interviews and I was both excited and nervous. It was going well. I was hitting all...