Musical Interlude: Bless the Telephone

Haven't done one of these in a while, but thought this deserved to be shared. A couple of months back I fell down a rabbit hole of songs from the 80s and 90s, and I landed on Labi Siffre's Something Inside So Strong. It made me feel very nostalgic. I saw he had a YouTube channel and fell even further down the rabbit hole, to the point where my brain melted. We all remember Madness, Must Be Love, right? Well, that's a cover of Labi Siffre, and he appears in the video as a violin player! But the one that left my jaw on the floor was Eminem, My Name Is. The whole thing is based around a 1975 sample of Labi Siffre, I Got The... I read that and I was like, 'nah... what?' Then I listened to it and was blown away. (Wait for it, the sample comes in around 2:11). It's now a regular on my road trip list. So talented. I really like the video with this upload of his song, and glad to discover more of his work through his channel. 

Expat Booktag

 

Hi everyone. I decided to do a booktag Q&A about being a British expat in Rwanda. The tag was started by ReaDANculous. You can find his original video here. 

Howling Halloween Book Tag

 

Welcome to my Howling Halloween book tag. Let me tell you all about my faovurite horrifying and haunting reads, from short stories to terrible tomes. Tell me yours in the video comments.

Inyoni Hotel in Gisenyi

 

I recently went up to Gisenyi in north-west Rwanda. My friend has just opened a new hotel there and it was lovely. Had a stunning view of Lake Kivu and a very well-stocked bar. If you're heading in that direction, use my code WriterInRwanda10 for a 10% discount on room booking. It's a really nice get-away from the city. Check out Inyoni on Instagram and their website.

Musical Interlude: The Big Push

Paper Loops

 

In a world of AI slop, it's wonderful to get to watch something that took real time and effort to make. Go follow Felix Colgrave's channel.

My First Live Stream!

 

I did my first ever live stream last night with the lovely Margaret Pinard and Books, Songs and Other Magic. Thank you both for being so welcoming and gentle with me. Think I settled into it after sorting out the sound issues and topping up my wine. Here's the full discussion:

Agitation August Interview

 

Had a lovely time talking to Margaret Pinard on her YouTube channel last night. As part of Agitation August I was talking about a book that really shook me up. I chose Emergency Sex: True Stories from a War Zone which had a huge impact on me when I first moved to Rwanda. We talk about everything from the state of international development, to youth unemployment, and the meaning of life - just small things. There's a lot more laughs than I make that sound! Turn on the live chat replay for extra entertainment, and if you could lightly bother the like button, it would be much appreciated. 

Behind the Scenes

 

A little book tag video: Behind the Scenes and 101 Days of Summer. In the first one, I explain a bit about how I make my Writer in Rwanda YouTube videos, from cameras and editing software to deciding what and when to cut. The second tag looks at summer-related reading themes: real-world places from books that I'd like to go and what I'd bring to a BBQ with Bridget Collins.

Come see me chatting about a book that shook me up on Margaret Pinard's channel this Friday.

Agitation August Lineup

 

Just another quick post about Agitation August, discussing books that really shook you up over on Margaret Pinard's YouTube channel. This is the lineup for this week and I thought a few of you might find Tuesday's chat interesting: How to Resist Amazon, and Why. Certainly a tough one for authors and book lovers alike.

I'll be there on Friday at 10 am PDT/6 pm GMT/7 pm CAT hanging out in the chat and talking about Emergency Sex, a book that certainly shook me up when I first started working in international development. Video link here.

Look forward to seeing those who can make it.

Agitation August

 

Yikes! I forgot to post about this to my blog. Managed all the other social media outlets but forgot this one. Definite socmedia burnout.

My friend Margaret Pianard is hosting Agitation August all this month over on her YouTube channel. She's interviewing lots of readers and authors about books that really shook them up and changed the way they see the world. Go subscribe and hit notifications to follow along. You can also play book bingo (see the video above) for a chance to win $75 in book tokens. Well worth watching.

I'll there on 22 August at 10 am PDT, 6 pm GMT, 7 pm CAT talking about Emergency Sex: True Stories from a War Zone, which had a profound effect on me when I first arrived in Rwanda. I'll also be hanging out in the chat to answer questions and just say 'hello.'

See you over there!

Once Upon a Time...

Hi guys. I kept a blog for the two years I spent in Rwanda as a VSO volunteer from 2007 to 2009. It feels like a lifetime ago. I still live in Rwanda today, having left and returned, and I thought it would be really fun to look back at my early scribblings and compare life then to life now. So, I started a YouTube vlog to read back through it and add some updates. This is the first episode above, and you can find the full playlist here. It's surprising both how much has changes and how much is the same twenty years later.

If you're planning a trip to Rwanda or if you're thinking about moving here and you want to chat through your plans, you can now book in for a Zoom chat through Buy Me a Coofee.

First International Female Ride Day in Rwanda

It was a huge pleasure to be part of the first ever International Female Ride Day (IFRD) in Rwanda, organised by my friend Mingina. More pictures here.

Dragon Book Tag

 

Going for a triple whammy with three book tags covering topics such as 'do you re-read books,' through to themes of fantasy and springtime. Check the video description on YouTube for more details on who started the tags.

What Makes a Snobby Reader?

 

My first book-related video in a really long time! Talking about my YouTube channel and how I'd like to get more literature in there, and doing a book tag all about snobby readers. 

Worlds Collide Podcast - Talking About Life in Rwanda

I had a chat with Worlds Collide. It's a podcast run by Viktoria Daute, where she interviews expats around the world to find out what it's like living in different countries. I told her about my life in Rwanda. It was really good fun. You can listen to my episode here. 

My Cousin Sali Rockin' Out

 

My lovely cousin Sali doing a Weeknd cover. She's in the Byron Bay area if you want to book her. She also sings underwater in Welsh! 

Cover Reveal - Sargon

 

Finally got a proper cover for Sargon!

Editing and Onion Soup

A lazy Sunday editing my work in progress and 

making French onion soup.

Oath, Boast, Toast 2025

 

Raising my drinking horn for the annual Oath, Boast and Toast. Let me know yours: what are you going to do this year? What are you proud of having done last year? Who, or what, would you like to raise a toast to?

Sali's New Year Rock Out

My cousin Sali having a New Year rock out.