So last Tuesday evening I had the pleasure of interviewing Australian children's and YA fantasy author Garth Nix for an event at Manchester's Waterstones bookstore. Which, I'll be honest, was a lot of fun. Nix is one of the most celebrated and prolific authors of the last 30 years — he's written over 40 books,… Continue reading A writer’s guide to creative courage
Tag: Manchester
The Night That Was…
There are simply no words to describe how beautiful a thing it was to celebrate the release of Lost Gods this past weekend. So, if the old adage is true and an image is worth a thousand words, what price moving images? Surely no better way to capture what was an incredible evening of fun,… Continue reading The Night That Was…
Lost Gods Launch Night
So yeah... I guess I wrote a book. Which - lucky soul that I am - is being published by Angry Robot Books and will be in shops for people to read and everything, July 5th. And, seeing as this isn't something that's ever happened to me before, I thought it'd be remiss not to… Continue reading Lost Gods Launch Night
Dancing in the Moonlight
The thing about films, especially the great ones, is that they're revelatory; they unveil the human experience, annotate humanity. Something I was reminded of when attending the previews for Barry Jenkins' mercurial debut feature, Moonlight, in Manchester these past few weeks. I was there to film vox pops for the distribution company, capturing audience responses… Continue reading Dancing in the Moonlight
The Future is Bright, The Future is… Social Media?
I'm told public speaking is consistently ranked as many people's greatest fear... yeah, that's right - above heights, spiders, snakes, clowns (I still don't get why anyone likes clowns) etc. In fact, in many surveys public speaking is even ranked above the fear of death. Which, in my opinion, is all the more reason for… Continue reading The Future is Bright, The Future is… Social Media?
Elevator Fiction
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to give the reader a story worth reading in 500 words or less… So said the email I received requesting I submit a piece of flash fiction for inclusion in an anthology to be published by Crocus Books. And so, never one to shirk a challenge,… Continue reading Elevator Fiction
Grime, Hip Hop and the City
If American hip-hop – along with dancehall and garage music – are the parents, grime has since emerged from their shadow as the rebellious adolescent ready to forge its own path, becoming the voice of choice for British millenials tired of hearing tales of streetlife narrated from across the Atlantic. It's for this reason I've… Continue reading Grime, Hip Hop and the City
There’s Nothing New About The News
Originally a rapper, and then a poet, for the last year Tom Bishop has been occupying that loose sliding space that lingers between the two, the stripped down art known as spoken word. After connecting with him during one of his live performances last month at Sandbar's grime and hip hop night, Mic Check, I… Continue reading There’s Nothing New About The News
Thoughts and Images from the Manchester #BlackLivesMatter Rally
I think covering the Black Lives Matter rally in Manchester earlier this week is an experience I won't be forgetting anytime soon. Seeing people of every colour and from a range of communities gathered under one cause was both sobering and inspiring, as was listening to a range of speakers including community leaders, activists and… Continue reading Thoughts and Images from the Manchester #BlackLivesMatter Rally
“Music is for people”: The Wisdom of Samm Henshaw
So I had the recent pleasure of sitting down with upcoming UK soul artist Samm Henshaw to interview him for Manchester-based newspaper, The Nubian Times. Samm, recently signed by Columbia Records, is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player... basically he's a ridiculously talented artist and, pleasantly, incredibly humble too. You can check out some of… Continue reading “Music is for people”: The Wisdom of Samm Henshaw
Micah Yongo 