Add to List - #50

Glad tidings of comfort with writing

Add to List is the Sunday round-up containing the small things that brought me joy, evoked an emotional reaction or became some short-lived stability in the past 7 days.

Thanks for reading!

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Obsession

Writing community.

This week has been jam-packed with ‘networking’. Networking is a word with a corporate (read: draining) connotation to me. It feels unfair to label any of my interactions this week as such; I left all these interactions feeling energised, excited, inspired and with a handful of new writing pals. Community is real.

On Monday, I co-hosted an in-person Writers’ Hour with the lovely team at

London Writers' Salon

. I felt so excited by the brilliant book and story ideas flying around that room. Is there anything better than carving out shared space for writing; feeling the energy of people creating their own worlds separately, but together? Especially in a beautiful library? No, there isn’t.

you can find me hiding here forever

And thanks to

London Writers' Salon

sharing an Instagram post on their account (sometimes social media is a good thing after all!) I found out about the freelance festive drinks hosted by talented Substack best-seller,

Francesca Specter

** later in the week.

It was a gorgeous cosy pub night which ended up becoming part therapy, part-party, part-writers room. A whole lot of positive female energy, one too many red wines and a ‘girl dinner’. I left with some helpful pitch advice, a bunch of gorgeous and grounded new contacts and felt inspired by all these talented women carving their own paths, exploring their areas of interest.

**The Shoulds by Francesca Specter is a publication which examining the hidden rules & stories that shape our lives. It’s about changing our narratives around what we ‘should’ vs. ‘could’ do. That said, you should subscribe, it’s brilliant!

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Confession

I haven’t watched a Christmas film (yet) this year.

I know, I’m overdue.

Good news: I’m heading off to Love Actually, Live this afternoon with some writers from here (thanks to

Farrah @Substack

’s organisation). I know the gorgeously friendly,

Lauren Powell

and

Kate Darracott

will make an appearance. And finally after months of chatting on here,

Amy I Beeson

and I will finally meet.

If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love Substackers, actually are all around.

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Shook

A Letter to the RNLI at Letters Live.

I was lucky enough to catch Letters Live on Thursday at the Albert Hall. I went with my parents, which felt like a real Christmas treat. They broke their Letters Live virginity. They’ll be back.

As usual, it was a thoughtful, considered curation to celebrate the written word. This time, the line up was extra special: Ian Wright, Chris O’Dowd, Jameela Jamil, Grace Campbell, Geri Halliwell-Horner, Alan Carr, Lolly Adefope, Asim Chaudry, Bella Ramsay…to name a few.

Yet, the letter which moved me the most was not read by a celebrity, but by the author himself. A doctor, now in his seventies who had been rescued from sea by the RNLI in his late twenties.

He wrote to the RNLI thanking them, determined to let them know their work had a lasting impact. He described the bravery and skill of the team and what they had sacrificed for his gain. Describing his long fifty years since that event, becoming a a husband, then a father to three and later a grandfather to five, he sent his upmost gratitude to the families of the RNLI team members who didn’t make it back from the waves at the expense of saving his life.

Not a dry eye in the house. Not a dry eye typing this now.

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Cook

Not a lot?

This time of year seems to be moving from snack platter to snack platter? Girl dinner? A slice of toast when you get through the door late at night? A Pret wrap on your way somewhere? A handful of Cadbury’s heroes from the work cupboard? It’s not healthy, is it?

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Book

Nothing.

I am a little out of the habit of reading books at the moment. This is very rare for me. I plan to catch up on my TBR in the downtime between Christmas and New Year.

To make up for my lack of eating proper meals and reading books this week, I loved reading London Standard’s restaurants of the year feature. Firmly solidifying my desire to go to Canteen, Nottinghill ASAP.

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Can’t Stop Scanning

Christmas presents.

I haven’t quite finished (i.e. started) yet.

That said, I’m co-hosting Christmas day and we’ve done the food and booze shop. So, priorities.

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Forward Planning

Think it’s probably time I start that Christmas shopping…