Gail Aldwin's Blog

I received an email from SME News in June this year saying The Writer is a Lonely Hunter had been nominated in the Southern Enterprise Awards 2025 . The nomination was based on my ‘impactful storytelling and dedication to community engagement through writing’. I looked into the organisation and decided to proceed. A couple of months later, I was told that following merit-led research and evaluation my blog had been recognised as the deserving recipient of the Best Literary Writing Blog Award 2025.

I accepted a complimentary package which involves a listing in the Hall of Fame (which you can see above). There are very many categories in the Hall of Fame so I’m not sure how much of an accolade this really is… but I’m willing to accept any encouragement!

Have you been nominated for an SME award? Do tell all!

My sixteen-month-old grandson has impetigo (an infectious bacterial skin infection) which he caught at nursery but he isn’t allowed to return there until 7–10 days after starting a course of antibiotics. As a result, we’ve covered some of the emergency childcare needs. It’s great to be helpful and looking after our grandson is always a lot of fun. He’s started talking much more and points his index finger when out in his buggy and calls out words like car, truck, bus and dog. We’ve spent a lot of time building towers with plastic cups (which are immediately knocked down) and stirring pretend porridge which is always too hot or too cold.

Due to family needs, my regular writing timetable has been affected. It’s not easy settling down at a different desk (or kitchen table) and expecting to have the same output that I would achieve if I was at home working on my latest manuscript. Instead, I’ve decided it’s necessary to play around with projects rather than stick to my regular writing routine. I’m a member of the online writing group Pens Around the World which supports people who write in English and live, or have lived, in far-flung places and we’re working on an anthology of advice for writers together with some creative writing pieces. I’ve enjoyed being a buddy to one of my fellow Pens Around the World members which involves me editing her pieces and she’s editing mine. We’ve come quite a long way in fine tuning all of our submissions. I’ll keep you posted as work on the anthology continues.

How many writing projects do you have on the go? Does diversity of writing help or hinder your work?

I was delighted to receive a review copy of The Blue of You, the latest work by talented author Amanda Huggins, published by Northodox Press. The novella is a joy to read, and I thoroughly recommend it to you. Here’s my five-star review:

The setting of a village on the NE coast of England in The Blue of You is integral to the story where some members of the close-knit community hold secrets and others break them. The novella works as a mystery where I found myself wondering which characters were trustworthy. Layers of narrative reveal Janey Shaw’s personal history as she becomes empowered to address issues of unresolved grief. The writing is immersive and rich with symbolism. This is another triumph for the author who has a strong track record of producing high quality writing. 

The novella is available to pre-order (publication date is 23 October) from the publisher or through a range of bookshops including T G Jones, The Portobello Bookshop and Waterstones Bookshop.

AI systems are trained on existing written material and therefore authors are anxious about having the copyright of their work infringed. It’s large corporations that gain most from the introduction of AI and the big profits that can result. Professional writers whose median income fell to £7000 in 2022 are right to be concerned. There are also reports of AI generated stories flooding open submission windows causing more headaches. You can read about the Society of Authors response to AI here. Keeping all this in mind, are there any positives?

I’ve heard of people using ChatGPT as an aid to completing job applications. Any resulting text needs to be customised to the applicant and the job description/person specification otherwise it’s easy to spot AI generated applications from the limited variety in sentence construction and repeated phrases. However, I’m told it’s an efficient way to build a first draft and as there were 140 applications for every graduate job in 2024, I’m not surprise job seekers are turning to AI for support. (There’s more about the struggles of graduates in finding work here.)

I was interested to read a post on social media from an author who promoted the use of AI to generate marketing materials. She suggested pasting copies of book reviews into ChatGPT asking what themes, tropes and emotional responses came from readers. This produced a summary of language directly from reviewers which could be used in promotional material that spoke in the language of those who loved the book.

My first foray into the use of AI has been for a purpose unrelated to writing. I’ve booked a holiday in New Zealand and am planning an itinerary for the two weeks we’ll spend on the North Island (we’re joining a two-week cruise afterwards). I trawled through the Rough Guide and searched lots of online forums to put together a list of places I want to visit. I pasted this information into ChatGTP with prompts relating to the maximum distance we wanted to cover each day and asking for easy driving routes. I was impressed with the results and am now finalising our plans.

Have you used AI? Do you think it’s such a bad thing?

I’ve had my friend Cathie staying with me for the past month and we’ve done lots of exciting things. Here are a few of them…

We went to see The Crucible at The Globe on a very hot afternoon. The £5 ticket meant standing for the duration which wasn’t too bad when the shade finally reached the spot where we were perched against a wall. It was one of several great plays we’ve seen this summer – others were The Great Gatsby and The Stereophonics.

We met Cathie’s former colleagues in Budapest where we did lots of touristy things. Highlights of the weekend included a drink in the Szimpla Kert ruin bar, a boat trip along the Danube and a visit to a spa.

It was blustery at the top of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. We travelled on the sleeper and enjoyed three days of walking around the city.

We met my daughter and grandson in Bath. At fourteen months, Jude has just started walking which is very exciting.

I fulfilled a lifetime ambition and sang in a choir. It was difficult to hold the alto line but I had a lot of help from Cathie who runs choirs in Australia.

We didn’t make it to Wimbledon as we’d intended, but have enjoyed watching the big matches on TV.

I next see Cathie in January 2026 when we meet in Sri Lanka. Do you have any travelling plans to share?

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I have a penchant for visiting cemeteries. When I spent the summer of 2021 in Cambridge, I regularly walked through Mill Road cemetery as a short cut to joining parkrun on Coldham’s Common. David’s favourite spot for foraging elderflowers and elderberries (to make wine) is at Surbiton Cemetery. So on a lovely day at the end of May, I decided to make for Brompton Cemetery.

Many cemeteries are more like wildlife sanctuaries and offer pleasant green spaces in which to wander. (I agree with the Victorians who saw them as a venue for a pleasant outing.) Seven large cemeteries were established in London during the 19th century to alleviate overcrowding in the existing parish graveyards. These were Kensal Green Cemetery, West Norwood Cemetery, Highgate Cemetery, Abney Park Cemetery, Nunhead Cemetery, Tower Hamlets Cemetery and Brompton Cemetery As I’ve been to Highgate cemetery many times, I decided to visit Brompton because I knew it from the days when I lived in Earls Court but never went inside. In 1981, the architectural historian Hugh Meller began calling this group of cemeteries ‘The Magnificent Seven’ after the 1960 western film of the same name.

At Brompton Cemetery it is possible to join a tour of the catacombs (situated underneath the collonades). Built in 1840, the catacombs were a speculative investment that didn’t pay off as only a fraction of the available internments were sold. On visiting the catacombs and seeing the decayed wooden coffins in the damp underground conditions you can understand why. (Fortunately each coffin is tripled lined and the lead remains intact.) As photography wasn’t allowed during the tour, you can see pictures of the catacombs on this link.

The tour included mention of The Priory Murders because the suspect’s first husband (Alexander Louis Ricardo) is inside the first coffin you see upon entering the catacomb. My small tour group included a Chelsea fan who spent much of the remaining time discussing the boundary between Brompton Cemetery and the football club!

Amongst other notables, Emmeline Pankhurst’s grave can be found in the grounds.

I fancy a return visit is on the cards and nearby North End Road market is worth a look. I’d also like to visit Kensall Green cemetery and the adjacent Catholic cemetery where Mary Seacole is buried.

Do you enjoy visiting cemeteries? I hope I’m not the only one!

Following a post on the London Writer’s Salon noticeboard for members, I contacted the librarian at HMP High Down about delivering a flash fiction workshop. It piqued my interest to see how a workshop would be received by male inmates at the prison. High Down is a category C men’s training/resettlement prison which is why staff are interested the role volunteers can play in rehabilitation. Notable inmates at High Down have included Gary Glitter and former England cricketer Chris Lewis. The prison is situated close to Belmont in Surrey where I lived as a child from the age of two until eight years. Our neighbour was employed as a gardener when the site was know as Banstead Asylum, a psychiatric hospital. After gaining my shorthand and typing qualifications when young, I worked there as a temporary secretary. With this history, I was curious to see how things had changed.

The hospital was demolished in 1989 and a replaced with a purpose-built prison housing 1200 men. My abiding memory from the visit is the continual sound gates and doors being unlocked and opened and then relocked on our journey to the learning space.

There were 10 participants at the workshop who were all very keen to learn more about flash fiction. The librarian had warned me that there might be attempts to derail my plans but the group were easy to get back on task. They produced some really great pieces. Many read their work aloud for feedback and the whole experience felt very supportive. I credit the librarian for creative such a conducive environment.

Will I go back? Yes! The participants requested a return visit and I’m keen to see how their writing has progressed.

Oh yes, any trip to IKEA should be rewarded with a bite of lunch. Fortunately, the Croydon store wasn’t too busy when I visited last week and I came away with all the purchases on my list… and not much more. (The marketplace is fatal for picking up just another bargain.) I was interested to note there’s a scene set in IKEA in You by Caroline Kepnes, where the protagonist helps his muse to buy a bed. I am late to this novel (it’s now available on Netflix) but I did find it a compelling story and it made me realise how few books I’ve read recently where the main viewpoint character is male.

On this occasion it’s David and our friend Martin at the helm of a GoBoat. This electric-powered boat took us on a jaunt along the River Thames from Kingston and the table provided an excellent way to share a picnic. I’ve been madly searching Google to find the name of the romantic novel which I think was set in Copenhagen and features GoBoats. Instead, I’ve come up with an AI overview of how I can write a novel based on my search:

The protagonist, a travel writer, is tasked with documenting the “hidden gems” of Copenhagen. She meets a local guide while exploring the city’s canals, and they decide to take a GoBoat tour…

Although I find plot the hardest thing to nail as a writer, but I won’t be resorting to AI any time soon.

This jousting garden feature appears in the flowerbeds at Hampton Court. I had to take a photo as our niece is appearing in A Knight’s Tale at the Opera House, Manchester. It’s a musical based on the film with the same name that starred Heath Ledger. We’ve got tickets for the show in May.

Have you been out and about during these sunny days in April? I’d love to know where you’ve been!

As a former teacher, I’ve discovered I’m entitled to join Boundless an experiences club that helps those who work or have worked in the public sector to make the most of their free time. It does this by offering savings on events and a variety of free benefits. The club was established in 1923 by Frank Edwards who set about bringing people together to share adventures. Nowadays, the £40 membership offers free entry into Kew Gardens and several royal palaces including the Tower of London and Hampton Court. To make the most of our membership, David and I visited Kew Gardens last week which is a train ride away from our flat in South West London. We explored a section of the grounds and enjoyed the temperate house. We also took a stroll along the treetop walkway which offered fantastic views over the London skyline.

David was keen to make the most of the warm spring weather, so he organised a trip to Worthing. We stopped off at Wakehurst (also free to enter for Boundless members) where the grounds offer diverse landscapes and plants from across the globe. It’s also home to the Millennium Seed Bank where over 2.4 billion seeds from around the world are conserved for the future. On reaching Worthing, we visited the pier, walked along the seafront and ate fish and chips.

Once back at home, I returned to my writing routine and am currently submitting my completed manuscript The Upgrade to agents and publishers. Querying is one of the tough aspects of writing and the ability to cope with rejection is very important. To support me on this journey, I attended an online session offered by author Zoe Richards who I met through The Savvy Writers’ Snug which is a FB group that’s well worth joining for authors seeking advice and support from others in the field. She offered a session drawn from her experience as a mindset coach which included a range of tips and techniques to tough it out in the book world. One of her recommended reads is Atomic Habits a book I’m currently devouring that explains how tiny lifestyle changes can have a big impact on the outcomes you want in life. (I was also interested to note the book was listed as further reading in a running journal I was given which aims to maintain motivation to run regularly.) It’s such a well-written book which has made me reflect on why it’s important for me to exercise each morning before beginning my writing practice. The book is also available to loan through Borrowbox as an audiobook. If your library subscribes to this service, you can download the app and have access to a huge range of ebooks and audiobooks. While I was on the app, I checked out other books that had been recommended by Zoe, and was pleased to find Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert listed. I’ve just finished listening to this thorough enjoyable book and can confirm that the subtitle ‘How to Live a Creative Life, and Let Go of Your Fear’ is a very appropriate one. I’m now looking forward to the audiobook of Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont which has been recommended to me many times.

If you can suggest other books on life and the craft of writing, do mention them in the comments. Thanks!

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks deep cleaning our house. It’s not that I like cleaning (although I do find a spotless oven weirdly satisfying) but we’ve been getting ready for our annual migration. We generally spend the spring and summer at our tiny flat in New Malden (South West London) while the Dorset house is let as a holiday home. If you want a peek, Glyde House is listed on Sykes Holiday Cottages. For anyone who’s interested in visiting Dorchester, please drop me a note through the contact page as mates rates are available.

I have loads of things planned over the next few months including theatre trips, museum visits, London walks and days out around Sussex and Kent (I want to go to an exhibition at Tracey Emin’s studio in Margate). I also plan to catch up with old friends I worked and studied with years ago. We’ll still make regular trips back to Dorchester as we like to keep an eye on the house and garden. I’m also planning to attend The Script’s the Thing 2 in Dorchester in May as I’m working collaboratively on a short play to submit. Long distance working is possible thanks to the joys of online platforms such as WriterDuet. In terms of other writing, I’ve finished the latest edit of The Upgrade, a bookclub titled based on a remote tropical island where tensions exist between rich holidaymakers and the local population. The next stage is to begin submitting again.

In the meantime, my daughter and grandson are visiting for a couple days so I’m looking forward to singing lots of nursery rhymes. Fortunately, my online singing classes with the CityLit have paid off, and I’m now able to sing on tune. I plan to join a community choir during the summer term which will be an ambition realised as I was refused entry to my primary school choir!

Would anyone else like to share their one of their ambitions? I’d love to hear – just drop a note in the comments.