Spring

it's arrived in my being

I’ve had so many horrible weeks in the past few months having a good week is a joy. It’s been a really good week.

I had news that one of my favourite authors will coming to the UK in the summer, I’ve been awarded Arts Council funding to have some paid time to finish editing my novel, I’ve been offered an unconditional place on Goldsmiths MA in Black British Literature, I’ve had dinner with a theatre friend without crying, had my first pay day in a while(!), I got my son’s new passport back with no delays so no more worrying about that, and I’ve been on a writing period drama workshop. And on the days it poured with rain, I did not get drenched. No one can say this is not a very good week. I am truly grateful for it especially as I’d almost forgotten what the flutter of excitement on getting good news feels like. I’m cautiously thinking maybe this reset period finally beginning to load.

I don’t have an English, literature or creative writing degree and I have not written academically before. While I know I can write, writing a critical essay as part of my application was new for me. My 15 year old self was chuffed to be told my essay ‘How Pray by Caleb Azumah Nelson invites the reader to reconsider the negative mainstream narrative around young black men’ was “elegant.” It was a moment. If you don’t know Pray, it’s a beautiful coming of age short story which gently centres young black men at its heart, with nothing but love. It’s set in London but it could be in any UK city. The story was shortlisted for the BBC’s fifteenth National Short Story Award. I highly recommend a listen on iplayer.

“Pray for Summer to come and go without incident, this Summer where we rage as hot as the red sun at dusk. Pray the young man wasn’t your friend, or a friend of a friend. Pray the grief passes. Pray we learn what to do with this anger.

I hope you have a good week, and that you don’t get rained on.

xox