A couple of works in progress…
Non-fiction
When Swallows Return
One house, seven hundred years of history, one woman’s journey to unearth the past and find a home.
When Swallows Return is a work of narrative non-fiction set in Cornwall. The book recounts my journey of finding a sense of belonging as I return to Cornwall and move into a remote house with a story of its own.
The book opens with our move to a slate-clad farmhouse tucked away at the bottom of an unassuming, overgrown country lane. Beautiful, yet in need of work, we are seduced by its quirkiness and characterful features. As we settle, whispers of half-told tales and half-remembered histories related to the house and local area circulate tantalisingly overhead. Yet the thick mists of early motherhood cloud my view and an unexpected move abroad takes us away from the house to Portugal. While away, the pandemic hits and we spend two tumultuous and uneasy years a long way from home.
In summer 2021, we return to the UK and my attention is drawn back to the house and its history. I uncover the story of a writer who was born in the house in 1342, I piece together tragic tales of sudden deaths, and a kind neighbour shares stories of record breaking gold finds and greedy mining captains. References to the histories and the natural world that surrounds the house frame each chapter. From brambles to gold, from butterflies to buzzards, the book is a melting pot of memoir and nature writing interwoven with the tales of those who lived in the house before us. Like a swallow on its return, it is a hopeful meditation on emerging from the wild winds of early motherhood, what home means and how casting light on those who came before helped me to find my own path.
Poetry
Rainbows in washing lines
From childhood friendships to the excitement of blossoming romances, from the loneliness of life today to the seemingly banal yet joy-filled moments, from the hollow depths of grief to the peace that comes with closure; Rainbows in Washing Lines is a short collection of poems about the of the joy, the pain and the beauty of the everyday.
I am actively looking for an agent, please get in touch to chat more.