Happy 2018 everyone! As many Glasgow Gallerina fans will know (come on, there must be a couple of you!) my Diary of a Novel blog is where I document the journey of my writing work. From the slow-but-steady development of a novel I hope to complete soon (stay tuned for updates!) to poetry and short stories, I've loved having the space to reflect and discuss with other literature lovers on how to make writing - and reading - work for us. It's profoundly important to me that words open up the world, rather than closing it down. Whatever your walk of life, education, experiences or tastes as a reader, the ethos of Glasgow Gallerina is all about having the wisdom to see that life and its creative

Dear Edward, I respect you greatly, and I respect Vogue too. The magazine means a lot to me: in 2016 I was honoured to be one of nine writers shortlisted for your Young Talent Award, and Vogue has always been the first volume I turn to in search of culture and style. But this month, I tore out a page. Not for inspiration, not for a design board, but because it distressed me to see it. And now I have seen it, it is with sadness that I’ve chosen to cancel my subscription. A glossy, full page front-of-book advert, literally promoting the British fur industry? I certainly care about buying British, but not at this price. Fur, for me, comes at too great a cost. Perhaps you feel there should be no