Blog
Work in Progress: The Influencer’s Canvas
After the autumn break following Omnichannel Hearts, I’m back to intensive writing mode with a project that feels both deeply personal and uncomfortably exposing. The fifth novel has a title now: The Influencer’s Canvas. It’s a story about a young artist who becomes a popular influencer and grapples with whether
Scotland: When Facilitation Becomes the Work
I spent last weekend in Greenock facilitating book presentations for Eurasian Creative Week. Not speaking. Facilitating. Different skill entirely. ECG organized the event across two venues: Beacon Arts Centre for public programming, OYO Gin House Hotel for workshops. Three days, multiple language streams, writers from across Europe and Central Asia
Documentary Treatment Progress
Tenth mentorship session focused on treatment structure. Three acts, six interview subjects, timeline spanning one year in migrant authors’ lives. Treatment reached eight pages now. Lydia insists: documenting creative process matters as much as finished product. This documentary isn’t just about migration literature. It’s about the act of creating it
Kew Gardens: Botanical Meditation
Autumn at Kew Gardens provided the perfect antidote to digital overwhelm. The Royal Botanical Gardens in their seasonal transformation reminded me why natural beauty remains irreplaceable despite technological advances. The Palm House’s tropical humidity contrasted sharply with October’s crisp air, creating microclimates that transported visitors between geographical regions within minutes.
London Settings Research
Third research memo complete. Lydia wanted emotional geography of literary London for migrant writers. Not tourist landmarks but spaces where important conversations happen. British Library reading room where I draft manuscripts. Quiet concentration surrounded by other researchers. Feels more like home than actual home sometimes. Work provides belonging that social
Release: Omnichannel Hearts
Today marks the fourth time I’ve experienced the peculiar mix of terror and elation that comes with book launches, and I’m struck by how much more confident this feels compared to the Polished Edges debut. Omnichannel Hearts is now live across all digital platforms, and the symmetry feels perfect —
Recognition and Reflection
Receiving the Creativitys UK Award for July 2024 feels surreal and humbling simultaneously. When the notification arrived while I was finishing Omnichannel Hearts, I initially thought it was spam — awards for writers still seem like things that happen to other people, not to someone painting nails and collecting secrets
Caernarfon: Reading Eastern Empire in Three Languages
I read from Eastern Empire at Gŵyl Arall last week. Welsh festival, international writers, Literature Across Frontiers hosting. Expected standard literary event format. What actually happened: mid-discussion, a Ukrainian colleague struggled with a passage in English. I switched to Russian to help clarify. Suddenly three more people joined the conversation—audience
Kindred Spirits
Called Lydia from Moscow airport yesterday after Omnichannel Hearts presentation. Russian audience response felt disorienting. They understood cultural references but missed technological critique entirely. She shared similar experience presenting Ukrainian work in different contexts. London audiences see displacement narrative. Kyiv audiences see something else entirely. Same work, different reception based
