Emily Sparkes and the Friendship Fiasco

 Hi! Hope you're well.

 Just letting you know that Cuckoo Review have published my review of Emily Sparkes and the Friendship Fiasco by Ruth Fitzgerald.

 I hope you enjoy learning about this sweet and fun new series.

 Liz x

Emily Sparkes and the Competition Calamity

 Hello!

 I'm very happy to announce that my review of Emily Sparkes and the Competition Calamity by Ruth Fitzgerald is now up on Cuckoo Review!

 I hope you enjoy it - let me know what you think of the book.

 Liz x

This Raging Light

 Hello!

 I'm pleased to let you know that my review of This Raging Light by Estelle Laure has been published by Cuckoo Review! I hope you enjoy it.

 Liz x

Visual Verse - Your before

 Happy December!

Photo: Philipp Keller/Stelzer Group/EMBL

 I'm very happy to announce that my fiction piece "Your before" has been published in December's Visual Verse. It was inspired by the above image, in quite an abstract way.

 I hope you enjoy it!

 Liz x

Under the Fable - God to an orange

 Hello! Hope you're well.

Photo: Wikipedia

 Back in August my poem Beach-combing was published in Issue 2 of the exciting new literary magazine Under the Fable. Well, I am now extremely pleased to announce that my poem God to an orange is Poetry Editor Ghazal's Editor's Pick for Issue 3! 

 I feel very honoured to have received this accolade. I'm so glad Ghazal enjoyed my poem and I hope you do, too!

 Liz x

Shane Filan album review

 Hello!

 My review of Shane Filan's new album Right Here has been published on The Mancunion.

 I'd like to mention that the review has been edited in a way that makes me appear much more critical of the album than I actually was. In reality I found it made quite enjoyable listening.

 I hope you enjoy it,

 Liz x

The Mancunion: Lesser-known books by well-known writers

 Hello!

 I'm pleased to tell you that my article about my favourite lesser-known books by well-known writers has been published both in print and online by The Mancunion. I hope you enjoy it - let me know which books you would add to the list.

 Liz x

The Mancunion: Books about siblings

 Hi!

 Just letting you know that my feature on literary siblings has been published by The Mancunion, both in print and online! It stars the Bettanys, Cassons and other great fictional families - hope you enjoy it!

 Liz x

Love Bomb

 Hello!

 I'm happy to announce that my review of Jenny McLachlan's Love Bomb has been published on Cuckoo Review! I hope you enjoy it.

 Liz x

MLF15: Simon Armitage

 Hi!

 My final event of this year's Manchester Literature Festival as a Digital Reporter was the wonderful Simon Armitage, introduced by John McAuliffe. 

 I hope you enjoy my account of the evening, which has been published on the Festival's Chapter and Verse blog.

 I've really enjoyed being part of the Festival for the third time. Long may it continue!

 Liz x

Visual Verse - Fire and stars

 Hello!

 I'm very happy to announce that my fiction piece "Fire and stars" has been published on Visual Verse. The challenge was to respond to the powerful image above by Coralie Bickford-Smith. 

 I hope you enjoy my interpretation.

 Liz x

Mole Guide to Salamanca

 ¡Hola!

 Just letting you know that my insider guide to the beautiful, ancient Spanish city of Salamanca is up on Third Year Abroad. I hope you enjoy my words and photos.

 Liz x

The Water Horse

 Hi!

 I'm very happy that my review of Holly Webb's Venetian fantasy novel The Water Horse has been published on Cuckoo Review. I hope you enjoy it.

 Liz x

YA books article in The Mancunion

 Hello!

 

 I'm pleased to announce that my piece on Young Adult novels has been published in The Mancunion, both in print and online! I hope you enjoy reading about this ever-evolving genre!

 Liz x

MLF15: Care Santos

 Hello!

Mariana Casale O'Ryan and Care Santos. Photo: David Mclenachan

 I had a wonderful evening listening to Catalan writer Care Santos read from her book Desire for Chocolate at Instituto Cervantes as part of Manchester Literature Festival. My review of the event (I am a Digital Reporter for the Festival) is up on the Chapter and Verse blog.

 I hope you enjoy it! Warning: contains large amounts of chocolate!

 Liz x

Gabrielle Aplin

 Hi! Hope you're well.

Photo: abidainton @Flickr. From The Mancunion's website

 I'm happy to announce that my review of Gabrielle Aplin's gig at The Deaf Institute in Manchester has been published in The Mancunion!

 I hope you enjoy reading about this rising star.

 Liz x

15,000 travel blog views!

 Hello!

 I was extremely pleased to notice that my travel blog has reached 15,000 views! As I've had it for only just over a year, I am very happy that it has reached so many people. I hope you have enjoyed sharing my adventures.

 Even though I am now back in the UK I have a few more posts about my time in Spain and France to publish on the blog so keep an eye on it!

 Thank you so much for your support.

 Liz x

MLF15: Kirmen Uribe and Jesús Carrasco

 Hello!

Jesús, Mariana - the hostess and translator - and Kirmen. Photo by Jon Parker Lee

 I'm very happy to be involved with Manchester Literature Festival for a third year. My first event was hearing Kirmen Uribe and Jesús Carrasco read at the Instituto Cervantes.

 Kirmen writes in Basque and Jesús in Castilian, so for me as a linguist it was a fascinating experience.

 I hope you enjoy my account of the event, which has been published on the Festival's Chapter and Verse blog.

Taking the plunge - from Wigan to Beijing

 Hello!

 I'm very happy that my article "Taking the plunge - from Wigan to Beijing", which tells of my sudden but wonderful trip to China, has been published by The Mancunion both in print and online. 

 I hope you enjoy learning about my rather surreal experience - you can find out more about it and see lots more photos on my Beijing blog.

 Thanks for reading.

 Liz x

Visual Verse - Heights

 Good afternoon.

 

 I'm happy to tell you that my story "Heights" has been published in Visual Verse. I hope you enjoy it; if you want to know more about the Clerecía in Salamanca feel free to check out the blog post of my visit.

 Liz x

Storm Horse

 Hello!

 I'm very happy to announce that my review of Nick Garlick's Storm Horse has been published on Cuckoo Review! I hope you enjoy it.

 Liz x

Roxette's Joyride in The Mancunion

 Hi!

 I'm pleased to inform you that my Record Reappraisal of Roxette's 1991 album Joyride has been published in The Mancunion - both in print and online. I hope you enjoy learning about this classic release.

 Liz x

Why I recommend the Chalet School

 Hello!

 I am very happy that my feature on the Chalet School series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer has been published on Cuckoo Review! Whether you are a fan or are new to the series, I think you will find something of interest in the article.

 Enjoy!

 Liz x

Visual Verse - Then

 Hello!

Image: Vestry House Museum

 I am pleased to let you know that my fiction piece "Then" has been published in Visual Verse.

 I hope you enjoy reading it.

 Liz x

Under the Fable Magazine

 Hello!

 I'm very happy to announce that my poem, Beach-combing, appears in the current issue of Under the Fable! I hope you enjoy it.

 Liz x

Top tips for teaching expat or bilingual students

 Salut!

 I am pleased to announce that Third Year Abroad have published my piece describing my experiences teaching English to British expat or bilingual students in France and giving my advice for managing this conundrum.

 I hope you enjoy the article and find it useful if you are in a similar situation.

 Liz x

Visual Verse - The beach

 Hello!

 I am very happy that my piece "The beach" has been published in this month's Visual Verse! We were tasked with responding to the above image by Kimberley Richards. I love Visual Verse - it's a great challenge, not least because you have just one hour to write your story or poem.

 Another thing to celebrate is that my travel blog has reached 10,000 views! Thank you to everyone who has visited it; your support means a lot.

 I hope you enjoy "The beach" and continue to enjoy my blog.

 Liz x

The soundtrack to my year in France

 Salut!

 I'm very happy to announce that my piece on the songs of my year in France has been published in Cuckoo Review! It was nice to have the opportunity to combine two of my greatest loves: music and travel. I hope you enjoy it!

 Liz x

Tips for year abroad blogging

 ¡Hola from sunny Salamanca!

 My tips for keeping a year abroad blog are now up on the Third Year Abroad website. I hope you find them useful - most can be adapted to any blog so feel free to give it a read even if you're not a year-abroader.

 Liz x

Binny in Secret

 Hello!

 My review of Hilary McKay's Binny in Secret is now up on Cuckoo Review!

 I hope you enjoy it.

 Liz x

20,000 views!

 Hello!

 I am delighted to announce that my music and lyrics blog has reached 20,000 pageviews! 

 I started it in 2011 because I felt a real urge to share with others the songs and artists I respect and to give my opinion on musical issues. Four years later, I feel I have succeeded. 

 Highlights have included choosing songs for Radio 2, interviewing The Kennedys and Eddi Reader, meeting Edwina Hayes and Kieran Goss and attracting the attention of Martika, Paul Young, John Illsley and Mark O'Connor. 

 I want to thank all of my readers for your support. Here's to another four years and hopefully many more views!

 Liz x

Sonder Magazine

 Hello!

 I'm very happy and proud to announce that I have had three poems published on Sonder. This Manchester-based online magazine has a stunning layout and features some great work so it's a real honour to be up there.

 I hope you enjoy the poems.

 Liz x

15 reasons to choose Perpignan and the Pyrénées-Orientales

 Hello!

 My article on Perpignan, France and its department, the Pyrénées-Orientales, is now up on Third Year Abroad. I describe through words and (my own) photos why this area is perfect for students, professionals and visiters.

 I hope you find it useful and consider spending time in one of the most beautiful places I have ever encountered.

 Liz x

Villanelle: The Songs of Maura Kennedy and B.D. Love

 Hello!

 My thoughts on Maura Kennedy's second solo album, a collaboration with the poet B.D. Love, have been published on Cuckoo Review.

 I hope you enjoy learning about this unusual album.

 Liz x

Sincerely Magazine: Volume 2 - Radiance

 Hi!

 I'm thrilled to have had three of my poems - "The flamebird", "Salt" and "The outside of beautiful" included in the latest issue of Sincerely Magazine. They have been gorgeously illustrated and overall it is a lovely publication.

 Liz x

Because You'll Never Meet Me

 Hello!

 I am very pleased to announce that my review of Leah Thomas's début novel Because You'll Never Meet Me is now up on Cuckoo Review.

 I hope you enjoy reading it,

 Liz x

Visual Verse - Jacob's Ladder

 Hello!

 I'm very happy to announce that my fiction piece "Jacob's Ladder" has been published on Visual Verse. It was inspired by memories and by the above image by Sigrid Calon.

 I hope you enjoy it!

 Liz

The Summer We All Ran Away

 Hello!

 My review of Cassandra Parkin's The Summer We All Ran Away is now available on Cuckoo Review. I hope you enjoy it!

 Liz

A Day in the Life of an English Assistant in Perpignan

 Hello!

 After the success of my Mole Guide to Perpignan I was keen to get involved with Third Year Abroad for a second time so I am delighted that they have published my Day in the Life piece.

 Through it you can learn about being an English Assistant in France and about the scenery, food and way of life in beautiful Perpignan and Canet.

 I hope you enjoy it!

 Liz

Mole Guide to Perpignan

 Hello!

 I am very pleased to announce that my Mole Guide to Perpignan is now live on Third Year Abroad!

 I hope you enjoy learning about the wondeful city where I have been living since September.

 Liz

Meghan Trainor album review

 Hello!

 I have reviewed Meghan Trainor's debut album, Title, for the Mancunion. My review can be found here. I hope you enjoy it!

 Liz

Wet - a poem

At the water's edge - a poem

Song - a poem

Silence - a poem

If I could capture your laugh - a poem