Eight years ago, I ran the Bacchus Half Marathon – an undulating trail run, starting and finishing in a vineyard, with fancy dress encouraged and wine at the drinks stops. Unfortunately, I was far too competitive and time-fixated to take advantage of the wine at the drinks stops. As I […]
In 2021, I almost achieved a lifelong dream. A book I had been writing – a book that had been my focus throughout the first year of the pandemic, and on my mind for many years before that – went on submission to publishers, and I got my hopes up. […]
If you’ve ever dipped your toe, even briefly, into the rapids of New Age spirituality, you’ve probably come across the word ‘manifestation’. Along with ‘love and light’, and calls to ‘raise your vibration’, ‘manifestation’ is one of those words you’ll find on your kooky cousin’s Instagram feed next to a […]
I’m writing this the day after my first (and probably only) marathon, feeling an unmistakable mix of afterglow and agony. Well, perhaps agony is a bit strong but physically I do feel about 90 years old. This is a different order of magnitude from normal DOMS – it’s an all-encompassing […]
We are living in interesting times. I keep thinking about what I’d have made of any given headline if I’d seen it a year ago, taken out of context. Schools close? Cities in lockdown? Major global recession? Even something as minor as a toilet paper shortage would have blown my […]
As the decade draws to an end, the temptation to go into retrospective mode is overwhelming. You can’t click on a website without running into the ‘best films / TV shows / albums of the 2010s’. You can’t use Spotify without being haunted by your own questionable previous listening choices. […]
(This was my entry to a New Philosopher writing competition, with the cheery theme of ‘Death’. I made the unofficial longlist.) In January 2019, seven weeks after my Dad died, I caught the train to an industrial estate just outside Amsterdam and made my way to an unmarked door. Despite […]
Three summers ago, I sat in the park with a notebook, writing a list of pros and cons. I was trying to work out whether I should stay in London – my home for the previous eight years – or whether I should stick it to Brexit and go travelling. […]
Since my dad passed away three weeks ago, I’ve been trying to find ways to begin a tribute. A straightforward obituary would feel impersonal, one step removed from a Wikipedia entry. At the other end of the spectrum, writing about my own grief would be impossible at this stage. So […]
Shortly after midnight on Sunday night, I walked from Finsbury Park station to the Travelodge on Isledon Road. Almost concurrently (I don’t know whether slightly before or slightly after), a van swerved onto the pavement outside the Muslim Welfare House, killing one and injuring 11 in an anti-Muslim terrorist attack. […]
This is a Write Off 