ON 2nd June 2025, I was invited to be a guest speaker on the panel of the 2nd Neurodiversity Conference at HMP Warren Hill, a familiar venue. With an audience of inmates, staff and professionals 100 hundred strong, it was clearly a very important and necessary event. Neurodiversity is of a high percentage in theContinue reading “Second Neurodiversity Conference”
Category Archives: reading
‘March’-ing on in March!
It’s been a while since I wrote a blog here, on my website. There are a number of reasons for this: firstly I wrote two other blogs/article on a monthly basis. You may be aware that I write a monthly post for the award-winning Felixstowe Magazine App in the form of a column called PENspiration.Continue reading “‘March’-ing on in March!”
In Constant Pursuit of Happiness
If you check out the title, you might think it can be taken in two ways: We are all constantly pursuing happiness, or happiness is ‘inconstant.’ And that’s the thing – maybe due to the pressures of social media, tv and magazines, we expect to be happy and entertained all the time and believe thatContinue reading “In Constant Pursuit of Happiness”
2024 is exciting far!
I have somewhat neglected to write here, as I have now got a regular spot writing a blog article each month for the Felixstowe magazine App https://thefelixstowemagazine.com This is a wonderful local app, which showcases local talent, event, venues – always an interesting read. I write PENspiration! (click to reveal my January article and clickContinue reading “2024 is exciting far!”
Book events coming up!
Please join me to grab a copy of Tourist to the Sun, my poetry collection, and/orThe Camera Obscure, my gothic story collection. This follows being one of the winning authors for the inaugural fringe event. Come and meet me – I’ll be in festive mode and obligatory funny hat, signing copies and having a chat!Continue reading “Book events coming up!”
New story: Dead Swan.
I’d like to herald the dawn of the new press Urban Pigs who have published my brand new story Dead Swan. Please see this link to have a read. I include a warning for the faint hearted – this story includes drug and crime references. I was inspired by the finding of a real deadContinue reading “New story: Dead Swan.”
I won a thing!
My new flash fiction story, Writer’s Block, a weird and twisty supernatural tale which will resonate with any creator, will be performed by an actor from Quirkhouse Theatre on Saturday 7th October at the Library in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. It was one of the winning stories at the first Fringe Festival for the area.Continue reading “I won a thing!”
David Lloyd Book Club, Ipswich: Mad Honey, by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finny Boylan.
Well, this was a fascinating book indeed. Opinion was divided, but not to polar extremes – we mostly all found it a good read, although I definitely feel the women in the group preferred it to the male contingent. But perhaps it is ironic that I am stereotyping here, in a book that so obviouslyContinue reading “David Lloyd Book Club, Ipswich: Mad Honey, by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finny Boylan.”
David Lloyd Book Club July: The Smallest Man by Frances Quinn.
The book club in July proved to be excellent fun and provided the opportunity for some lively chat. We had to cancel the one in June due to traffic of all things, so we actually read two books. The Smallest Man was the one from June, and this meeting was much anticipated as the Author,Continue reading “David Lloyd Book Club July: The Smallest Man by Frances Quinn.”
The past few weeks!
A quick update: here’s what I have been up to for the past few weeks. As you know, I played Mary Boleyn and Elizabeth Barton In The Rise and Fall of Thomas Wolsey. Here are a couple more shots from that showing me as Mary Boleyn and a similar painting of her: After the showContinue reading “The past few weeks!”
Virginia Betts 