Fi Phillips

Many people have slammed the door on 2016 as a year of divisiveness, hate and loss. I have to agree that yes, it's been all of that, but for me it's also been a time of growth and realisation. Not all of that was comfortable, for the world or me personally, but no worthwhile change was ever achieved from a place of safety and comfort. Challenging times bring out the best in people. The beginning of most years have felt like this - a blank page. I'm not a one for making new year resolutions (the spring always seems like a much better time for that) so I've kind of drifted into each new year with a vague sense of needing to make a change. I've made the usual vows - eat healthier, exercise more, be a better person - but that has often felt like an empty effort. Shouldn't I be doing those things anyway? Perhaps that's the problem. This time of year excels at selling expectations. We should do this and we should get rid of that. I've always been u...

This is how I started the second day of the new year, walking around in rainy Venice with my husband to celebrate my fiftieth birthday. With our children safe at home with their uncle, we spent a wonderful long weekend in a city that constantly inspires me. Come the Tuesday morning, my children returned to school, my husband to work, and me to my writing and plenty of post Christmas housework. Smack down back to earth. January is my birthday month but unfortunately it's also a month that acts as an anti climax after the festive break. It's cold, often rainy and, let's face it, most of us have usually spent all our pennies until the next pay day comes around. It always seems like a terrible time to me to be making resolutions so I keep those until the spring. This month, therefore, continues without a lot of change. I'll continue to wait for responses from the literary agents whom I've submitted my novel to. I've had three no's (with encouraging feedb...

It's here at last. The new year has sprung. Say hello to 2016. Here's hoping for twelve months of progress, fortuitous meetings and loving company. Happy new year to you all.