Category Archives: Uncategorized

How to steal your fiction ideas from real life…

Written by Sarah on February 17, 2012 — Leave a Comment

Here are two of my recent online workshops for your half-time fun and delight… The first is a series of three workshops for Mslexia magazine and adapted from a chapter in the Short Circuit book about writing short stories. In it, I explore how you can successfully use the stories you hear from your family, [...]

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Learning from TED

Written by Sarah on February 10, 2012 — 2 Comments

I found the TED commandments on-line recently and what struck me was how they could apply to readings too. So as I gear up to some poetry readings for You Do Not Need Another Self-help Book, I’ve printed them out and will keep reminding myself. 1. Be personal 2. Be vulnerable 3. Make people laugh/cry [...]

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Valentine Stalker…

Written by Sarah on February 4, 2012 — Leave a Comment

Love this!

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Sometimes you just need to watch something silly…

Written by Sarah on January 31, 2012 — Leave a Comment
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Happy Lunar New Year….

Written by Sarah on January 25, 2012 — Leave a Comment

Lovely to celebrate on Monday in London’s Chinatown at a delicious meal with our Thai friend, Irene. So in honour of the Year of the Dragon, a quote from Cornelia Funke to remind us of the joy of being able to create our own worlds in fiction… I always wanted to ride a dragon myself, [...]

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The Arvon magic….

Written by Sarah on January 15, 2012 — 2 Comments

Having just come back from a week at the Hurst, I’ve been wondering what makes Arvon – both teaching and writing – work. I think it’s something to do with this quote, which I read out there: ‘To write means to live thoughtfully. To respect your inner life. To engage with the world. Why shouldn’t [...]

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OK – a beautiful little sentence animation

Written by Sarah on January 5, 2012 — Leave a Comment
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Carol Shield’s Anti-Procrastination Trick

Written by Sarah on January 4, 2012 — Leave a Comment

Carol Shields is possibly my Desert Island writer, so I was interested to find this piece in an 1998 interview about her useful trick to avoid procrastination: “There are days when I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to pick up that pen, it feels so heavy, or get myself onto the word [...]

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Mossy signs and stiles…

Written by Sarah on January 1, 2012 — Leave a Comment

…feeling grateful today for footpaths and the right to roam. Happy new year to you all x

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Listening to myself in 2012…

Written by Sarah on December 31, 2011 — 9 Comments

I’m normally a great one for resolutions – heck, I’ve already made one on here for this year, and last year I made 11 11s so I was tempted to do 12 12′s for this year. But I’m not. I will be putting more fun into my life – even if it sounds strange to [...]

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Meet my new book

I'm very pleased to tell you that a limited run of my first poetry collection, YOU DO NOT NEED ANOTHER SELF-HELP BOOK is now available to buy. It won't officially be launched in March, so you can be ahead of the crowds. Ssshhhh...

Here's what some people have said about it:

'Sexy and tragic - my favourite combination.' Rolling Stone magazine critic, Will Hermes

'I come undone when I read her words. Her poetry slays me.' Susannah Conway

'There's a quiet sizzling underneath the surface of these poems, which can make you smile and wince at the same time.' Philip Gross

And you can buy the book here.

  • Meet Sarah

    "Sarah Salway is the Madonna of writing books. The dancing one, not the Mother of Jesus one."
    Neil Gaiman
  • Sarah is the Canterbury Laureate, Chair of the Kent & Sussex Poetry Society and Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the LSE. This blog is her writing journal, to be filled with small stories, prompts, and ideas, as well as inspiring people and things.

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MY BOOKS

LEADING THE DANCE - A collection of my short stories.

SOMETHING BEGINNING WITH - my first - and alphabetical - novel, which has been translated into six languages so far.

GETTING THE PICTURE - a novel of love and revenge, based loosely on Les Liaisons Dangereuses but set in an old people' home. .

TELL ME EVERYTHING - my second novel, just re-published, which explores how we create ourselves through narrative.

News and events

2nd February - Reading at Bath Spa University

1st March – Poetry Unites, LSE

3rd March – Writing in the Social Media Age , LSE

8th March – LAUNCH PARTY of You Do Not Need Another Self-Help Book. Venue: London to be confirmed

10th March – workshop with TW Writers Circle, Crowborough

13th March – Reading at University of Kent

20th March – Pindrop Press reading at the Kent & Sussex Poetry Society, Tunbridge Wells

4th May – Launch of the Canterbury Laureate Project – New Sounds Festival

* 16 May 2012 - Keep the date free - it's National Flash Fiction Day 2012!

23-27th July – Whitstable Oyster Festival

23-27th August – Herne Bay Festival

15-27 October – Canterbury International Festival

This year I'm proud to be the CANTERBURY LAUREATE. There is a special page on this website, soon to be filled with news of this role. I have plans! If you are linked to literature, art or education in Kent, and would like to work with me, then please do get in touch.

And in the news:
Listen to the first half of my CBC broadcast with William Gibson here, and the second part here.