Dedicated publisher of fiction, poetry and memoir
It is almost one whole year since the pandemic started to take hold worldwide, and since we entered our first lockdown. How the world has changed since those early days! I wrote a tweet about it a few days back: 'does anyone remember how strange it felt the first time you went out wearing a... Continue Reading →
I've felt a special affinity with birds of prey since I was a teenager. I identified with them as solitary hill-loving creatures like me, who haunted the heights of my beloved Lake District. I saw many buzzards and kestrels, a mating pair of ospreys and even a peregrine falcon once, but never the Golden Eagle.... Continue Reading →
Since my last Quarantine Diary entry, I've been rather busy. We've moved house as a family and gone through the rigmarole of enrolling the children in their brand new school and nursery. In Slovenia, schools and nurseries re-opened this week for all ages up to third grade. My eldest son was given an extra week... Continue Reading →
Izola is a small fishing town on the Slovenian coast, which retains much of its Venetian character. It boasts a picturesque marina affording stunning views across the Adriatic Sea towards Venice, and some great restaurants serving up local delicacies and of course the freshest of seafood! History of Izola Izola seen from the nearby hill... Continue Reading →
Sometimes, the great bones of my life feel so heavy, and I wonder, where on earth does it come from, all this weight? There is a song lyric: ‘what’s that secret sorrow that your carryin?’ But it’s no great secret: bereavement, separation, loss. I feel bereaved by every memory which hijacks my senses unexpectedly from... Continue Reading →
As the cold weather continues in the Northern Hemisphere, I bring you a dish to warm the cockles of your heart. Jota is a thick and hearty soup made with beans and sour cabbage. This dish is a blend of Mediterranean and Central European culinary traditions. It is popular all over Slovenian Istria, and also... Continue Reading →
This week has got me thinking about battles, both personal, and on a much grander scale. We all face personal struggles now and again, but it does seem at the moment that the problems we are facing as a human race far outweigh the internal struggles of any individual. I do however believe that the... Continue Reading →
I am grateful to Spillwords Press for taking the time to interview me for their 'Spotlight on Writers' series. This was a very pleasant surprise at the start of the New Year. If you want to find out a little more about me, and the inspiration behind my writing, head over to Spillwords to read... Continue Reading →
The Italians and Hungarians have stuffed peppers; in the former Yugoslav countries both stuffed peppers and stuffed cabbage leaves are popular; and in Greece the recipe becomes stuffed vine leaves. This culinary heritage of filling whatever vegetable you have available with a simple meat stuffing is fascinatingly diverse but also shows the connection between these... Continue Reading →
By now, I should be an old hand at new beginnings. I've learned to recognise those 'watershed moments' before they arrive. First time was losing my mum as a child; no way I could have seen that coming; no way that anything would ever be the same again, afterwards. Then it was moving away from... Continue Reading →
Experiments in Fiction 