Rae of Light

  Over the years my lodgers and guests have been instrumental in passing on certain ideas and tastes to help mould me into the ultimate human I am to become. Well known additions to the improvement of me and my lifestyle include: my daily cup of REAL coffee (Thanks Elisa) vodka in warm milk with a spoonful of honey for those sleepless nights brought on by a head cold (thumbs up Cesare) and of course the delights of Poopourri adverts on uTube when you need a bit of cheering up (priceless Kaatje) For a more detailed account, take a look at my 2016 post on the matter. Now I’m pleased to introduce yet another Lodger Legacy and bring you the wonderful experience of Fika . This is the Swedish tradition of taking time out in your day to shoot the breeze with friends, colleagues and family. It can simply be enjoyed with a cup of coffee and some pastry or with any beverage you prefer. There is no set time for this event to take place but it is hoped it will be a daily occurrence ...

    Many thanks for all the messages I received from people after my last post. I truly appreciate the support extended by each and every one of you. If I haven’t responded to your email as yet, please bear with me, I will get back to you pronto.   Great News There’s tons of it to pass on. Airbnb have opened up my calendar and I'm booked up until the end of October. This is a great relief to me.   I’ve been loading my books on Draft 2 Digital which means they’re available for all e-readers and not just Kindle. This is long overdue so I’m very glad I finally got that squared away. I’ve also finally gone ‘wide’ for my paperbacks so can approach local independent bookshops and libraries to stock my books.   I’m working on a short book as part of the Deed series. It will be exclusive to members of my mailing list. That should be done by mid October and with my subscribers once I convert it to an epub and mobi doc. I will also provide a pdf if people prefer t...

Finally it’s here. The poetry collection which my Sheffield bestie Bev Cross and I have been promising you. Sincere apologies for the delay. That has been down to me entirely as I was in charge of the final edit and only just recently got my act together. A huge thank you to our ART team for helping us make this collection reader ready. Your support is invaluable and immeasurable. £1 from the sale of each book will go to our respective animal charities. Bev’s Sheffield based chosen charity is cat-CHING . Follow them on Facebook  or Instagram to see the incredible work they are doing. Also, click on his image and take a moment to meet BBIII (aka Beaumont Barrington the Third), recently rehomed and now settled in the Fulwood area of Sheffield. Bev chose this charity because she admires the selfless work of the two women running it in their spare time. BBIII My chosen charity is Ebony Horse Club which is based in Brixton. Follow them on Facebook , Instagram or...

Recently in my writing group we had a very interesting conversation about poetry and why so many people feel they are unqualified to comment on it let alone attempt writing it. Both myself and another very accomplished poet argued that poetry should be for everyone and the reason so many people are put off is because their introduction to it has been stultifying. We are made to feel that if we don’t understand form, method, metre, then we’d best step aside and leave it all to the professionals. But I believe we all intrinsically grasp poetry because it is first and foremost about the sound of words. Us humans relish rhythmic sounds. It’s why we listen to music, sing and dance. I stand by this opinion as I have to teach children about poetry and am met by their fear of it coupled with the idea it will be too difficult to understand. In a classroom full of resistance to poetry I start with just one word. Your basic, everyday common noun. I ask them to list several objects: book...

I rarely make New Year’s resolutions as I’m so busy trying to finish off tasks already on the go. Everything tends to carry through to the next year, particularly when it comes to my writing. I know resolutions are meant to be about the personal but my writing and I are so closely linked that inevitably, it ends up being one and the same. This year is no different. I’ve got several projects on the go. My plan was to publish a Robert Deed Collection last year which puts all the Deed books into one volume. Unfortunately due to a spate of migraines during November and December that plan didn’t quite pan out. I am however very happy to report that the e-version of this collection is now available for you to buy. Since you are a select bunch you get the opportunity to purchase it at a reduced price from 1 – 5 February . This is because February is my birthday month and I love to give presents as much as receive them. So here for you is the link for this limited offer.  ht...