My year’s end posts are often celebratory. This one is bittersweet.
I made significant professional strides in 2025, both in my writing career and in my day job. Personally, a lot of things have gone well.
I also lost my dad this year, after traveling back and forth to the U.S. a few times to see him in the hospital. And my cousin died very recently; he wasn’t much older than I am.
A New Book
My poetry collection The Heart Decided to Move came out this year with Read Furiously’s One ‘n Done series. I had a lot of fun writing and illustrating this book that tells the story of my move to the UK, travels, and moments of daily life as an immigrant.
Mikey Belcher did a lovely interview with me on his Substack that goes into detail on the book’s themes, and I gave some workshops and readings in both the UK and Canada to celebrate the book’s launch.
A Musical
This May, Joan: The Musical, which Hannah Doyle and I co-wrote, was performed in the Brighton Fringe. It told a story of an older woman, left behind by both an ex-husband and the passing of time, who travels to another world Alice in Wonderland-style and undergoes challenges to get her confidence and power back. Our first two shows had a sold-out run, so we ended up doing an encore performance.
It was amazing to see such a big production onstage. I dreamed of writing a musical and having it performed as a kid, and now I’ve done it. The show had good reviews and was an exciting, intense experience that I learned a lot from. I’m grateful to our team – director Summer and actors Geraldine, Justin, Lauren, and Dean, along with the fantastic team at The Actors – for making this show shine!
Volunteering Endeavors
I took on two big volunteer tasks this year. I was on the committee to plan Mensa’s annual European gathering in Cardiff this year, which happened in August. I helped organize activities and also gave a writing workshop.
I also acted as a juror for the British Fantasy Awards’ Best Independent Press award. I ended up reading 20 books for this, which was both exhausting and rewarding. There are so many great independent SFF presses in the UK; this work left me optimistic that the genre is in good hands.
Other Things
The Whispers in the Earth anthology came out this year, featuring my Canadian ghost ship tale along with 19 other folklore-inspired stories from around the world and beautiful linocut illustrations.
I had a short story published in the NonBinary Review’s Solarpunk issue.
I also recently got promoted to Senior Editor at Mindtools and am excited to see where that role takes me.
I have more books planned, starting with a romance novella that will be launching next year!
I’ve done my best in 2025, and I intend to do the same in 2026. I think my dad would be proud.
I spent the last four days at the World Fantasy Convention, which took place this year (most conveniently) in my current home city of Brighton. It combined two events in one – an international fantasy convention and a British one. That means it came with two award ceremonies, including the British Fantasy Awards, where I acted as a juror for one of the categories.
Just a few of the stickers, art, zines, treats, and other swag I brought home
Shiny Things
If you like to collect things, I’d highly recommend attending a con. I brought home so many bookmarks, book art, zines, stickers, tote bags, sweets, and more. Just a few are shown above.
And the books! I brought home 11 free books, plus the 24 ebooks/magazines offered as free downloads to participants. One author handed me an entire trilogy. I also bought… let’s just say more than a few of the attending authors’ works. One advantage of living nearby was that I could bring books home in my bag every evening rather than having to fit them all in a suitcase.
The convention featured a display of beautiful fantasy art for sale, as well as a room full of booksellers, including some intriguing independent booksellers, authors, and small presses, and one night involved a massive author signing event.
Happy People
As much as a fantasy convention is a showcase of books and the worlds within them, above all, it’s a place to meet and connect with creators. It was great to see people I knew from Worldcon last year and to meet new people, too.
Events included panels, author readings, launches, guest of honor interviews, “meet the author” events, workshops, and social events such as karaoke and a funny role playing game. I found Ana Sun’s workshop on Writing a Community, Not a Lone Hero deeply engaging, and the panel on Feminism and Feminist Themes in Genre Fiction made me think about what kinds of representation I’d like to see more of.
I enjoyed attending several of the book launches and continuing to get to know the fantasy publishing landscape I’ve been exploring as an award judge. The Solaris launch stood out, with authors playing a game of choosing which one of their books best fit some fun questions (such as “Which book would you recommend to your best friend?” and “Which main character has the best fashion sense?”). I’m told that another launch involved a sing-along.
Speaking of sing-alongs, I had a fabulous time at the “Dungeons and Disorderly” role playing game, where a group of authors played characters and a scenario created by audience prompts written on slips of paper. It was like a big improv game. Some of us in the audience were called upon to act out opponents the characters encountered, so I, in my Halloween costume (I’d dressed up as Moiraine from the Wheel of Time series, which a lot of people interpreted as a princess costume – I got a lot of compliments on my dress that day), got to play a duck that sang a Disney song to activate a weapon. I sang a bit of “Let It Go” in front of everyone. It was all great fun.
My costume
The British Fantasy Awards took place on Saturday, and I was proud to watch the announcement for the Best Independent Press. I got a picture of Nick Wells, founder of the winning press, Flame Tree Publishing, giving his acceptance speech. I was the only juror in my category who could make it to the conference, so it felt special to be there.
I’ll say again, as I did last month, that all the submissions were excellent. It was an honor to play a part in recognizing their quality work, and I was very pleased to see some of the other presses and authors recognized elsewhere, including at the World Fantasy Awards the next day. A single panel of judges adjudicated that whole slate of awards, a task which took up much of the year. They gave an interesting talk on trends they noticed and the process they used. I appreciate the BFA approach of using different panels to judge each award, allowing for shared work and opportunities.
Founder/Publisher Nick Wells gives the acceptance speech for Flame Tree Press, winner of Best Independent Press in the British Fantasy Awards
One of my own SFF stories – some hopeful science fiction involving climate change and a work exchange between planets – was recently published in the NonBinary Review’s Solarpunk issue. I also have a story forthcoming in Mythaxis Magazine.
And if you’ve read this far, here’s some flash fiction to thank you for your attention!
Pick a Door
Once you’re twelve you get to choose your door.
If it had been up to me, Liam and I would’ve gone through the same one, but there are rules, you know. One child per door. Keep the populations stable. If some doors get too crowded, the council swap them out for different ones.
So I put on my nice blue suit with a marigold in the buttonhole and Dad led me to the entrance, stooped but proud.
Liam ran up and hugged me quick. “Bye, Amir. I’m going to pick the blue one.”
“Bye.” Be a man. Don’t cry.
I spun in a circle. A hundred doors, hanging down from the sky. Some hinted at warm or woodsy origins. I recognized the door through which Mom had entered our world, old and chipped. She’d liked it well enough here before she left.
Maybe I’d like it there, too.
As I stepped forward, heard it creak open and its Mac truck rush of energy pulled me through, I hoped she’d gone back in there instead of running through another one.
Last month, I promised that I’d share a little about my experience judging this year’s British Fantasy Award for Best Independent Press. I also have a review for an enchanting new romantasy novel, so let’s start with that, and I’ll say more about judging later.
Binding the Cuckoo Review
Binding the Cuckoo is the first foray into independent publishing from Gabriela Houston, author of The Bone Roots and several other novels rooted in Slavic mythology. Well, perhaps it counts as the second, since I got to know Gabriela as the editor for the Kickstarter-backed, beautifully illustrated anthology Whispers in the Earth: World Folklore Reimagined, to which I contributed a Canadian ghost ship story.
Gabriela kindly sent me a review copy of Binding the Cuckoo. As a fan of her previous work, I was excited to see what her historical fantasy romance had in store.
Here’s the blurb:
1899: A fay grifter seeks fortune and security.
Love was never the plan.
In the late Victorian era, a technological marvel allows scientists to open rifts into the realms of legend. Powerful creatures, weakened and stripped of their memories, are brought to serve the whims of the wealthy elite…
Hare, a young woman with a mythical secret finds herself trapped, facing an unenviable future.
When an equally desperate schoolmistress, Miss Anne Bonningham offers her a chance at freedom, they embark on a daring plan. Disguised as “Miss Edwina Walker,” Hare navigates the treacherous waters of London high society, solely focused on securing a marriage and escaping her past.
However, amidst the glittering balls and intricate social games, as hidden agendas surface and a vengeful figure from her past threatens to expose her true identity, Hare must make a choice: embrace a life of comfort and security or choose freedom and a love that could shatter the very foundation of her world.
If you like your fantasy light, but heavy on the sexual tension, this one’s for you. Hare is an outsider protagonist with few options, and I sympathized with her right away.
In the alternate history, “mythics” are otherworldly beings (mostly fairies) brought into our world, where their magic weakens and memories fade, to serve humans. Hare was betrayed by someone she trusted, and has little idea of who she was before. When offered freedom through an alliance with a somewhat unsavory character, there’s little else she can do.
So, we’re off to London, where Hare poses as Miss Anne Bonningham’s American relative seeking a match. If she can secure a good marriage, both she and her “matchmaker” will have their currently dire futures secured.
Cue the high-society socializing, the kind (if a bit silly and arrogant) duke who takes a shine to Hare, and his lawyer friend who clashes with her again and again, with sparks flying. You could call it a love triangle, but where one option represents security and the other a deeper connection, it’s pretty clear how things are going to turn out. The fun is in getting there.
Along the way, we encounter a variety of mythics who can’t pass as human like Hare can, and struggle to get work. Their interactions are nuanced, as they can magically recognize each other but humans can’t recognize them in the same way. I’d love to know more about them and their world, which is only lightly sketched out. Maybe in a future book?
Binding the Cuckoo is an easy, elegant read. It comes out on October 15, and you can pre-order it now.
Literary Judging: What’s It Really Like?
Any writer reading this is probably intimately familiar with the process of being judged. You sent a piece or pitch to a publication, or a manuscript to an editor or publisher, you wait, and most of the time, you get another rejection letter to add to your growing collection.
I’ve been on both sides of the desk. Along with writing, I used to edit and read submissions for literary magazines. Several years ago, I sat on a panel judging a magazine grant for a Canadian province I’ve never lived in. And this year, I was one of five judges for the British Fantasy Award for Best Independent Press.
The winners of this year’s British Fantasy Awards will be announced at the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton, which takes place from October 30-November 2. So I won’t be sharing any spoilers here, but I have some insights into the process of judging a literary award.
How do you judge something as subjective as the quality of written work? You start by assembling a panel of judges, who all bring different experiences and opinions. Our group had some degree of consensus around quality, strengths, and weaknesses after reading the material – and it was a lot of material. I read a sample of books from each press, for a total of (I think) 20, and there are more in a box if I want to dive into them later.
Some judging panels agree on criteria and give scores to the material. With others, it’s a more fluid discussion – more of an art than a science.
Both panels I’ve been on have been very respectful groups. I imagine the rest of the British Fantasy Awards were similar, with thoughtful, generous debates and discussions of each work’s respective merits. There were differences of opinion, but everyone had fair input. It came down to a nail-biter, and I got to be the deciding vote.
What I witnessed from award judging was just how many good books, publishers, and works might not win awards, but offer high quality, unique perspectives, and valuable contributions to their genres. That’s something I found when reading submissions for magazines, as well. There’s so much good stuff out there! There aren’t spaces or awards for all of it, and not being “chosen” doesn’t make a work any less worthy.
Someone else winning an award, or a rejection of your story, is not a rejection of you.
Some people like to imagine rivalries in the writing world. Maybe they exist, but that hasn’t been my experience. With speculative fiction especially, I see a bunch of geeks getting excited over each other’s books. With publishing more broadly, when one book does well, that can create space for others, and excited readers are more likely to read something else.
There are unkind people and poor behavior in every industry. But my experience judging an award was one of respect and collegiality. From what I’ve seen, the future of independent publishing in British SFF looks hopeful.
I’ve been meaning to finish and review Evan J. Peterson’s occult detective novella Better Living Through Alchemy since it came out last year. Better late than never, right?
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of books in order to judge the Best Independent Press award for the British Fantasy Awards. There are a few of us judging each award, and next month, I’ll tell you more about what the experience of judging a literary award is like.
Once I finished that stack of books, I looked at my TBR and there it was, waiting for me – Better Living Through Alchemy, which Evan (who I met through a Clarion West writing group) had kindly given me a review copy for.
At 166 pages, this is a slim but satisfying read, a fast-paced page turner. It’s also not your typical detective novel.
Private investigator Kelly Munn uses her magical and psychic abilities to investigate cases in Seattle along with her cousin and assistant, Critter. One day a client comes in with an equally strange mystery for her to look into. A drug called bardo has appeared on the streets. It’s killing people and leaving their bodies mutated in bizarre ways. It’s a compelling case – and paycheck – that Kelly and Critter can’t refuse.
The characters are charming, with the banter between detectives and clients reading as entertaining and the caring bickering between the two cousins as believable. I enjoyed how the story low-key has a mostly queer cast. Kelly is bi or pan, and Critter is trans and some variety of queer as well.
While Critter and some of the other characters use magical techniques like tarot and dowsing to investigate the mystery, Kelly’s abilities are the most interesting aspect of the heroes’ magic. She has clairolfaction – she can smell feelings and images, which help her intuit leads for the cases she investigates. (Her ability doesn’t seem too far off from synesthesia, just a bit more magical.) Her third-person point of view is peppered with experiences like smelling lies, “green words,” and a mixture of “rightness and wrongness” that smells like “wood smoke and rain mingled.”
Like her colleagues, she supplements her natural abilities with an interesting sort of magical technology. She free-associates words to come up with insights and, at one point, uses something called a “Dreamachine” that once belonged to William Burroughs. I think I want one.
The plot drives the storytelling forward, with one thing leading to another. Resurrection! Demons! Tree-people! Lost gods! The appearance of the drug itself! The tension ramps up, backstories are revealed, twists and turns appear, and everything feels engrossing. By the end of the story, things are… mostly explained, and maybe some of them don’t need to be.
All I can say is, it took me too long to read this book. Don’t be like me – read it now.
Author Interview and UK “Speed Walk”
My friend Mikey Belcher is a fellow American-Canadian transplant to the UK. We went to grad school together, and now he has a fantastic Substack newsletter where he writes about art, architecture, and more. I was delighted to do an author interview with him recently.
He asked me thoughtful questions about my new poetry book, The Heart Decided to Move, we share our experiences of moving to the UK on ancestry visas, and the interview ends with a “speed walk” around some of my favorite places in the UK.
It was fun to be asked what building I’d most like to build out of Lego! Portmeirion, in Wales, of course (see below). Read the full interview here.
More Synesthesia Shenanigans
I’m taking part in a research study at the University of Sussex on synesthesia in families. My mom’s participating too. It’s looking at both synesthetes and their non-synesthetic first-degree relatives. They’re still looking for direct relatives of synesthetes to participate, so if this applies to you or someone you know, you can learn more below or click here to sign up. It’s a paid study that involves color matching and memory tests.
Now I have consistency tests confirming my synesthesia. It felt exciting to have evidence that this was real, that I wasn’t making it all up.
I’ve also signed up for a workshop with the documentary In My Mind’s Eye – Unlocking Synaesthesia. The co-hosts, who run the Let’s Talk Synaesthesia podcast, will be leading sessions on neurodivergent wellbeing, music, and art-making. It’s taking place on October 18 in London, and interested synesthetes can sign up on Eventbrite (space is limited).
This past weekend, I went to an art installation at the Barbican called Feel the Sound. I thought the “multi-sensory installations” sounded both interesting and synesthetic. The exhibit had a lot of cool concepts, such as instruments that use light or sense indirect touch, and AI-generated, light-up melodies that match participants’ descriptions of their experiences with music. There was a lot of AI use in this contemporary exhibit, and I’m not sure how I feel about the infusion of that bland AI-generated writing style in the art world.
As I expected, a lot of the exhibit mixed senses in interesting ways, and that stirred up my mixed senses. I suppose I should have expected that something called “Feel the Sound” would have a lot of what, to me, felt like “weird noises.” Some of them were red or green or shaped like triangles. It felt a bit chaotic in some of the rooms, and calmer in others where the sonic atmosphere was more closely controlled. The choir of trans voices in a room where listeners could rest on body pillows was a highlight, along with screens of visuals synced to music and platforms that vibrate along with sounds. Overall, the experience was a blend of hit and miss for me.
That’s how I’d probably describe my engagement with contemporary art in general, as well as my experiences with synesthesia. I recently tried closing my eyes by a busy highway and watching the colors and shapes that the car noises made in my mind’s eye. It was cool that I could do that… but I quickly lost interest in that little game. I’m the kind of curious person who smells all the roses in the rose garden. But some experiences, it turns out, can be both synesthetic and boring.
I’m writing this fresh from Brighton Pride celebrations this weekend.
And I’m grappling with difficult feelings. It’s hard to lose a parent. And while I was traveling back and forth across continents to visit my father in the hospital, I didn’t have the bandwidth to process other emotions which I’m feeling now.
A lot of people have found themselves on neurodivergent journeys recently. Mine looks a little different from what you see on TikTok videos. I’ve shared a little about it elsewhere, and now I’ll share more about it here.
I used to be in a neurodiverse relationship. That’s how I got involved with a local autism support group, a decade or so before the neurodiversity-affirming movement really took off.
I’m not autistic. I also don’t have ADHD, the other type of neurodivergence that’s gained visibility recently. But years ago, I read about dyspraxia (sometimes called Developmental Coordination Disorder) and thought, “Oh.”
My skill set has always been wildly asymmetrical. I was that kid who couldn’t catch a ball but was reading (and understanding) my mom’s psychology books at age 9. My brain can struggle to process motion. Sense of direction? I’ve barely got one. Dyspraxia made sense – until I attended a dyspraxia conference, and realized I didn’t experience 70% of the challenges the speakers were talking about.
A few years ago, I contacted an expert and we looked at various forms of neurodivergence. I’d thought I had a disability – but I don’t, and my attempts to find accommodations for my challenges had only made me feel worse. I found out instead that I’d been struggling with anxiety symptoms, and had “some sensory things” (not a diagnosis) and a high IQ. I learned some anxiety management techniques, joined Mensa, and got on with things.
There was still a piece missing. And this year, I found it.
Synesthesia, aka the “Sensory Things”
It turns out my brain has another weird thing going on – synesthesia. This is when input to one sense results in an additional sensory experience. Think colors for letters, tastes for sounds, feeling touch when someone else is touched, visualizing sequences in space, etc. It’s a diverse spectrum of traits, and multiple forms often coexist in the same person.
I read about synesthesia as a teenager and found it relatable. It struck a chord, given my colored weekdays (the most common form of synesthesia found in a population study) and the poem I wrote as a child about the colors and personalities of certain numbers. But surely I didn’t really have synesthesia, since I wasn’t actually “seeing” anything.
There’s more information and research on it now. As it happens, most synesthetes are like me, with the extra sensory input experienced in the mind’s eye (associative synesthesia) rather than in the external world (projective synesthesia).
My main forms of synesthesia have to do with color related to physical sensations and music. I experience other forms, too, including some that happen occasionally. I’m still figuring out what things are “normal” for me that aren’t experienced by everyone. Yep, I was 37 years old when I learned that most people don’t ever visualize moving, colored shapes in their minds when music plays.
It’s common for synesthetes to have some of the challenges I do, such as a poor sense of direction, some challenges processing movement, and left-right confusion (which I used to have, but it went away after going on a bunch of hikes). My strengths in memory and creativity are also common with the profile.
Synesthesia has an interesting place in the neurodiversity conversation. It’s one of few “neurodivergent conditions” that’s not typically disabling. There’s less stigma around it at this time, though if you try to articulate your experiences, they sure can sound weird! Some people experience debilitating or distracting versions of synesthesia. Others embrace the “superpower” narrative, with versions of synesthesia that help with remembering information, spotting patterns, or creating spellbinding art of things they see that no one else can.
I’ve had frightening synesthetic moments and stunningly beautiful ones. On the whole, though, my synesthesia is like background noise that I’ve spent most of my life tuning out. I gave it other names – “my wild imagination,” “weird or spiritual experiences,” and “did this really happen or did I make it up?” No wonder I gravitate toward fantasy fiction, where some characters see things that most people can’t. I realize now there’s a synesthetic character in one of my short stories in Dream Signs, and while there’s no “seeing music” in my music-focused novel Chasing Harmony, it has some synesthetic moments too.
I don’t have to “do anything” about my synesthesia, really. But I’m curiously exploring how it works, and trying to figure out how I feel about it. I think this will take a while.
A mediocre painting of a song I heard. Well, it gets the point across…
Magnetospheres and Demon Hunters
A movie just came out that struck a deep chord with me. Magnetosphere, directed by Nicola Rose, is a coming-of-age story about a girl with synesthesia set in Ontario during my own childhood. For me, it couldn’t have been released at a better time.
It was a delight to hear the Canadian accents and to be reminded of watching Comet Hale-Bopp and the girl power era. While my experiences aren’t the same as the protagonist’s, I do see sounds, hear colors, and see feelings on occasion, and like Maggie, I was and am creative and emotional. There were so many things I related to that I cried a few times during the movie, especially when Maggie was singing about being confused by her synesthetic experiences. I also loved her argument with her friend over the colour of Tuesday – some subtle synesthesia in someone else that wasn’t singled out. That’s not to mention the queer subplot, and the comical one where Maggie’s dad is directing a theatrical production where everything goes wrong. Memories from Joan: The Musical were triggered!
I recommend Magnetosphere without reservation, especially if you’re curious to get a sense of what (some types of) synesthesia can be like. The Pharell Williams Lego movie, Piece by Piece, is another great watch for visualizing music-to-color synesthesia. And, like many people right now, I’ve gotten into Netflix’s animated musical KPop Demon Hunters. I’ve been binge listening to the songs. If you’ve seen it, you’ll know that demonic patterns figure heavily in the plot, so it’s interesting that the riff at the beginning and end of “Golden” evokes a compelling visual pattern for me.
I relate to the main character Rumi’s secrecy and shame. The movie struck a chord because I’ve drafted a novel with overlapping themes – music magic, demons, and secrets brought into the open. Oh, and a version of synesthesia, before I realized that’s what I was experiencing. Once I revise my current WIP, I’m going to get back to work on that one.
To quote the movie’s final song:
Why did I cover up the colors stuck inside my head? I should’ve let the jagged edges meet the light instead Show me what’s underneath I’ll find your harmony The song we couldn’t write This is what it sounds like
Writing News
Next week, I’ll be in Cardiff for EMAG, Mensa’s European annual gathering. I’m on the organizing committee and will be leading a workshop on Creative Writing as part of the program.
Creative Writing
Saturday, 9 August, 9-10 am
Looking for a fun new way to express your thoughts, feelings, and ideas? Have you always wanted to write but not been sure how to get started? In this workshop, you’ll explore a variety of facilitated creative writing exercises, with opportunities to share with the group and get feedback if you wish. Let’s bring our imagination to the page!
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I have two story publications forthcoming this year, and a future poetry event in the works with Custom House Bookshop in London.
I did an author interview recently with fellow writer Christina Consolino, who asked lovely, thoughtful questions.
I’m having fun contributing to the British Fantasy Society’s monthly blogs and judging for the British Fantasy Awards (Best Independent Press means reading a lot of books).
It’s an exhilarating feeling, watching in the audience as actors embody characters you created, speak words you imagined, and belt out music you created.
But my co-writer Hannah Doyle and I weren’t the only ones getting chills during the opening weekend (May 3-4) of Joan: The Musical in the Brighton Fringe. Some of the audience members shared that it made them cry. Others left quoting the lines and humming the tunes.
I couldn’t have imagined a better weekend for Joan, where BOTH DAYS SOLD OUT!
Except for this – we were offered an opportunity to do a THIRD performance! It’s now happening on Monday, May 26, at 6 pm, once again at The Actors in Brighton.
It’s truly magical when the stars align and you end up seeing something that takes your breath away. Joan The Musical by Melanie Bell and Hannah Doyle is a triumphant tale about a woman’s dwindling confidence and her journey of self-discovery. A tale of despair and sadness, followed by joy and karma. With sequins, hot pink leggings, squats and box breathing. All set to an amazing original musical score.
This is a sweet-toned musical about self-affirmation, new discovery and magical singing that works. Lyrics and songs are the kind you’d hear in a Southwark Playhouse musical: easy melodies, wittily syncopated around witty lyrics… They’ve clearly proved themselves as a writing team, and it’ll be fascinating to see where they go next.
Co-writer/producer Hannah Doyle and lead actress Geraldine Afifi spoke about the show on an episode The Brighton Babbler podcast, which also includes one of the songs! You can listen to it here.
We’re now looking for opportunities to develop the show beyond the Brighton Fringe. Feel free to be in touch if you know of any possible connections!
The cast and creative team
Book Events and News
The book launch for my new poetry collection The Heart Decided to Move went well, and I’m in the process of setting up more readings and events. For my next one, I’m coming to CANADA!
1-110 Roseberry Street, Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada June 6, 2-4 pm Join me for a poetry reading, book signing, and snacks at a gem of a bookstore that offers “a space where anyone can feel safe and free to let their geek flag fly”!
Reading at The Heart Decided to Move book launch
My copies of the Whispers in the Earth: World Folklore Reimagined anthology arrived and they’re so beautiful! The book features 20 folklore-inspired stories, including one of mine, and hand-printed linocut illustrations. There may still be a few copies available on The Broken Binding’s website, so check here if you’re interested in ordering a paperback or a hardback with sprayed edges!
Whispers in the Earth anthology, with the linocut illustration for my story
My poem “In Which Much Has Changed” has been (re-)published in issue 49 of QWERTY magazine, the “No” issue, along with other innovative poems and stories. You can order one here if you like.
And in final book news, a recommendation! I had the honor of giving some preliminary input on the English edition of Monika Orski’s book about leading highly intelligent people – which can be trickier than it looks! And the book is out now.
Part 1: Learning by Doing Leadership By Monika Orski
Leading highly intelligent individuals can be both an immensely rewarding and challenging experience. When those individuals are also volunteers, the complexity of leadership increases even more.
In this thought-provoking book, a former national chair of Mensa Sweden shares valuable insights and practical lessons drawn from years of experience leading within one of the world’s most intellectually gifted communities. With Mensa being a largely volunteer-driven organization, it offers a rare environment to explore leadership in its most nuanced and challenging form, also know as herding cats.
You will learn about leadership by sugar, explanations adapted for the fast thinkers, and how a character from a children’s book can help. Plus some other things you might not yet know that you want to know. There are even some attempts at humour.
Ideal for leaders, managers, and anyone working with high-performing or highly autonomous teams of professionals or volunteers, The Art of Herding Cats guides you through doing the mostly impossible and how to enjoy it.
My poetry collection The Heart Decided to Move is out in the world now!
“A poignant exploration of self-discovery, The Heart Decided to Move captures the author’s transformative journey as she takes the life-changing step of relocating to a new country. Through letters, poetry, and reflective prose, the work weaves together a tapestry of language, emotion, and identity. Each piece invites readers to explore the complexity of what it means to leave behind one’s homeland in search of a true sense of belonging. Follow Melanie Bell as she experiences moments of culture shock, surviving a pandemic in her new home, and joyful moments of worldly travel, all told in snapshots filled with humor and heart.”
In 2017, Canadian author Melanie Bell moved to the UK on an ancestry visa. Her new poetry collection, The Heart Decided to Move, shares the story of that journey, from moments of culture shock and cross-cultural delight to surviving a pandemic in an unfamiliar place. The book incorporates illustrations, prose, and travel poems from far and wide.
Join us to celebrate the launch of this collection and pick up a signed copy!
In further news, the Whispers in the Earth: World Folklore Reimagined anthology is out, featuring my Prince Edward Island ghost ship story, among a collection of 20 tales inspired by myths and legends from around the world, and illustrated with beautiful linocut prints!
The editor, Gabriela Houston, is also a prolific fantasy author. Her latest novel, The Bone Roots, is a haunting, beautiful read featuring Slavic folklore, motherhood, fox thieves, and gods. I read an ARC and thought, “I wish I could have written that!” So, if you’re looking for something new to read, check it out!
Rehearsals for Joan: The Musical continue in preparation for performance in the Brighton Fringe on 3 and 4 May. My co-writer Hannah Doyle and lead actress Geraldine Afifi just did an interview about the show on The Brighton Babbler podcast which also includes a song from the show, “Little Bird.” You can listen to it here!
If you’re local, come join us and see it live next month!
72-year-old Joan has it all. A glittering past as a West End dancer, a chocolate-box maisonette in Seven Dials, and fantastic hair. There’s one thing she doesn’t have, though: the power of self-belief.
Bruised and scorned by her ex-husband’s wayward ways, Joan tumbles down a rabbit hole that brings her face to face with her tattered confidence. Can Joan find her way back to the surface? Or is she destined to languish in the depths of self-care hell?
Joan: The Musical will take the stage at The Actors in Brighton on 3 and 4 May, at 1.30pm. You can get your tickets here!
Coming April 8: my new poetry collection, The Heart Decided to Move!
And you can preorder it now! More information from my publisher below:
PREORDER – The Heart Decided to Move – One ‘n Done 12 is currently available for preorder. Orders will ship 2025-04-08
A powerful portrait of self-discovery told in snapshots as the author makes the challenging decision to relocate. Letters, poetry, and language come together to create a journey of what it means to find your heart’s true home.
Melanie Bell, author of Chasing Harmony, dazzles readers again with her follow-up project that once again asks us to find our authenticity through the choices we make.
I’m excited about this book. As the title suggests, a lot of heart went into it. I wrote the poetry over several years and, while it focuses on my experiences moving to the UK, I wrote across several places. The collection also incorporates some of my essays and illustrations.
I’m having a book launch in Brighton – details below, and more events to follow!
In 2017, Canadian author Melanie Bell moved to the UK on an ancestry visa. Her new poetry collection, The Heart Decided to Move, shares the story of that journey, from moments of culture shock and cross-cultural delight to surviving a pandemic in an unfamiliar place. The book incorporates illustrations, prose, and travel poems from far and wide.
Join us to celebrate the launch of this collection and pick up a signed copy!
I have a lot on the horizon, starting with a follow-up to my last workshop at The Queery. Participants expressed interest in doing some facilitated writing exercises, which will be happening this month.
Come join me for Writing Exercises on Saturday, March 15, 6-8pm at The Queery (46 George St, Brighton)!
Join local author Melanie Bell for a series of writing exercises to get your creative juices flowing!
Following her last creative writing workshop and interest in more exercise-based work, Melanie will bring a range of writing prompts and activities for attendees to work with. Whether you’re a curious beginner or an experienced wordsmith, come join us and get ready to explore!
In 2017, Canadian author Melanie Bell moved to the UK on an ancestry visa. Her new poetry collection, The Heart Decided to Move, shares the story of that journey, from moments of culture shock and cross-cultural delight to surviving a pandemic in an unfamiliar place. The book incorporates illustrations, prose, and travel poems from far and wide.
Join us to celebrate the launch of this collection and pick up a signed copy!
Joan: The Musical has a full cast and director, and yesterday, we all met for our first rehearsal! We’ll be working together intensely for the next couple months in preparation for our May 3-4 performances in the Brighton Fringe.
Everyone got along well, and it was great to see their talent and enthusiasm coming together!
Here are some of the action shots:
Joan: The Musical will take the stage at The Actors in Brighton on 3 and 4 May, at 1.30pm. You can get your tickets here!
In September, my writer friend Hannah Doyle and I started brainstorming ideas for a play for the Brighton Fringe. After several months of work, it’s approaching reality, and will take the stage this May.
Announcing Joan: The Musical!
72-year-old Joan has it all. A glittering past as a West End dancer, a chocolate-box maisonette in Seven Dials, and fantastic hair. There’s one thing she doesn’t have, though: the power of self-belief.
Bruised and scorned by her ex-husband’s wayward ways, Joan tumbles down a rabbit hole that brings her face to face with her tattered confidence. Can Joan find her way back to the surface? Or is she destined to languish in the depths of self-care hell?
Joan: The Musical will take the stage at The Actors in Brighton on 3 and 4 May, at 1.30pm. You can get your tickets here!
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