At the age of seven, I waved a medical encyclopedia in front of my parents and announced that I had "free-floating anxiety". The book was one of only a few we had in the house, and it had an entire … Read More
Hello, thanks for getting in touch. This is the blog I send to people who write and ask for my advice about how to become a journalist. First up, and most importantly, it's a good question and great to hear … Read More
Working from home is a pain. Literally. Working from hard kitchen chairs, slouched on sofas, or shoved into a new ‘office’ (read: cupboard) means most of us are contorting into new physical positions. And oof, it hurts. At the age of … Read More
Here's a thing that surprises people. When anyone asks if I have a tissue, the answer is always, 'No'. Which may not be surprising in itself. But I am an epistaxis sufferer. Or, to put it more plainly: I get … Read More
Buying a teacher gift can be a nightmare. If you're a parent you want to avoid replicating things. And do they like even like chocolate or wine? If they're your partner/sibling/parent/friend, you don't want to have to deal with them … Read More
TV appearances are exciting, but they have a major downside: people can see you. This is good, because it means the brand you are representing (yourself, or an organisation) is getting exposure. But if you're not prepared for the fact that … Read More
Written February 2017, after the terrible year that was 2016 Twenty-one and a half years ago my English teacher, Mr McGee, gave me a gift. It was autumn 1995 and he made our class write about the summer holidays. But, he said, we … Read More
Amazon ran a competition to re-invent A Christmas Carol as a 1,000-word children's story. For fun, during a tube journey, I decided to write an entry on my phone. What fell out has a difficult message, and made me cry … Read More
Buying a teacher gift can be a nightmare. If you're a parent you want to avoid replicating things. And do they like even like chocolate or wine? If they're your partner/sibling/parent/friend, you don't want to have to deal with them … Read More
In a tradition that now spans three education secretaries, it's this year's Education Secretary Christmas Reading List. (Gosh, aren't we all getting old). This year we have a new overlord, Justine Greening. She's actually really smart, and interesting, and seems 'nice', if … Read More