Teju Cole is a Nigerian-American writer and photographer who writes fiction and essays, takes photographs, and often combines the two crafts. His writing is always compelling, always precise. Reading it inspires and impresses. I started with his fiction / auto-fiction Open City and went on to read his other books, particularly enjoying Known and Strange… Continue reading Writing advice from Teju Cole →

I'm writing today's advice from my lounge at home, listening to the helicopters that have been buzzing since Monday, searching for a man who is missing on the mountain. I learned about this case last night because my husband and I went up to the mountain for a walk, and the parking lot was crowded… Continue reading Writing advice from bell hooks →

Last year I discovered the fantastic site - Literary Hub - when reading a piece by a favourite writer friend, Yewande Omotoso (buy her books!) Literary Hub is a great collection of writing advice, literary critique, opinion writing, and new writing. Read more pieces, here. Since I read Yewande's piece I check the site regularly… Continue reading Writing advice from Rebecca Solnit →

Zadie Smith's advice on when to edit your work (spoiler - it involves a lot of patience).

Marlon James, Jamaican writer, has published four novels. I have only read A Brief History of Seven Killings - a fictional account of the plot to murder Bob Marley - which won the Man Booker Prize in 2015. It is an immersive read, filled with dialect and alive with characters that will have you thinking… Continue reading Writing advice from Marlon James →