It’s always hard, or at least a little strange, announcing your own good news. Part of me likes sharing happy achievements, while another part of me wishes that everyone already knew, so I wouldn’t be bragging. With writing news, I also struggle with embargoes. I’m not good at keeping secrets, so that when I finally can tell people I blurt at them like an excited six year-old.

Two happy pieces of news in the last few weeks:

1) I’m part of the Emerging Writers’ Festival program! I’ll be talking with fellow bloggers Michelle McLaren and Meghan Brewster about all things blogging. Having hung around the festival for the longest time (as an attendee, as a blogger, as an intern and friend), I’m thrilled to be taking the leap across the desk and hopefully share some insights and advice that will be useful for emerging bloggers, as well as connecting with new people and learning from their experiences. This event is part of the National Writers’ Conference.

Aside from my own involvement with the festival, I can’t encourage you strongly enough to get along to the festival. This is where you’ll have an opportunity to connect with people at a similar stage of their writing career, as well as potential mentors. People are far more giving with their time and knowledge than you’d imagine, and I’ve found the EWF to be one of the best possible places for finding the support and encouragement I’ve needed.

The EWF team have done a fantastic job once again of making a hugely accessible festival, with over half of their programming FREE (!!!), and presenting a huge range of voices from artists at various stages in their career. Get ye to the festival!

2) I’m also chuffed to have been awarded a Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowship, and humbled to be part of such an amazing group of recipients. The Hot Desk will give me time and space to write, a platform for my current project (an exploration of food and memory titled Eating with my Mouth Open), and the all-important moneys. I’ll be writing at the Wheeler Centre from late September to early December. You can read more about the program, as well as the other fantastic recipients, at the Wheeler Centre website.