My third and final event of the Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2024 was the Women in Publishing Society‘s launch of anthology Imprint 22. I had an absolute blast reading my humorous short story The Snide Sniper to a rather well lubricated and very appreciative crowd at the Foreign Correspondents Club!

I am honoured to have had three very different pieces published in this year’s beautifully illustrated and meticulously edited anthology – The Snide Sniper, poem Barking Mad (along with a sketch of my beloved pooch Hobo) and a personal essay on how my neurodiversity (ADHD) can turbocharge my creativity but make me feel like a typo. You can purchase the book from the Lion Rock Press, Bookazine, Vibe and the FCC!

Congratulations to editor Carol Dyer, Polly, Gillian, Leslie, Rinkoo and all the WiPS team. Also to Joanna and Ursula for coming out to support what was an epic prelude to International Women’s Day!

Thanks to the SCMP for publishing this piece in which I attempt to explain bipolar disorder in their Health & Wellness section today! Also for reminding me that I founded Bipolar Hong Kong in 2014. That is TEN YEARS AGO!!!! A DECADE of support groups in Starbucks without any of us having bought a coffee! 🤣

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3253446/what-bipolar-disorder-types-symptoms-and-causes-condition-affecting-kanye-west-and-selena-gomez-and

It was the second chat I’ve had with journalist Anthea Rowan about bipolar and a pleasure reconnecting! Our first in 2021 can be found here.

Sharp Pains has been nominated for Moment of Comedy Gold‘ by the 2023 International Women’s Podcast Awards for a second consecutive year! In 2022 I was nominated for the Bake Fail episode of my humour column series for RTHK Radio 3 and VYP. This year, it’s Home Spa having ‘a moment’. The 2023 IWPA Awards take place at The Conduit, Covent Garden, London, Nov 6! Thank you, IWPA judges! I am honoured to be in a category with so many witty podcasters!

https://everybody-media.com/iwpa-shortlists-2023/

2022 Awards

https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0044618/2022/1

https://everybody-media.com/nominees-2022/

Thank you to editor Carol Dyer and the Women in Publishing Society for inviting me to read Bake Fail at the 2023 Hong Kong International Literary Festival launch of Imprint 21! It was the first time I had performed it in front of a live audience and I had a blast!

Bake Fail was published as A Piece of Cake by the South China Morning Post in 2022, which meant it couldn’t be included in the anthology, but you will find two of my other humorous short stories tucked inside; Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow from Sharp Pains, which broadcasted on RTHK, and a restaurant review by my poodle, Mojo, which I helpfully translated.

Imprint 21 is available from bookstores including BookazineLion Rock Press and Vibe. You can also pick up a copy from the FCC, where the event was held. Congrats to the Women with WiPS for putting on a cracking event and to the HKILF for curating such a literary feast! 

https://www.hkwips.com/2023/imprint-comes-of-age-at-the-fcc/

Excited to have joined Everybody Media as a podcaster in their Collective! The London-based media company was founded by Naomi Mellor to produce and support podcasts that raise the voices of women and non-binary podcasters. The company partners podcasting giants like Wondery and is home to the annual International Women’s Podcast Awards. Being nominated for ‘Moment of Comedy Gold‘ by the IWPA in 2022 was one of the highlights of my year and I can’t wait to collaborate with them in 2023! Sharp Pains has just been uploaded to their site! You can find it and explore other podcasts here!

IWPA 2022 on IMDb

Excited to find out the 21st Women in Publishing Society anthology Imprint 21 will launch on International Women’s Day (March 9) at the FCC as part of the 2023 Hong Kong International Literary Festival! Two of my humorous short stories are among the contributions and I am excited to have been invited to read Bake Fail at the event! Bake Fail broadcasted as an episode of Sharp Pains on RTHK Radio 3 and was published by the South China Morning Post as A Piece of Cake in 2022.

Bake Fail was nominated for Moment of Comedy Gold by the 2022 International Women’s Podcast Awards and an Official Select of the 2022 On Air Fest in Brooklyn. Sharp Pains was also shortlisted for Best Comedy Program by the 2022 New York Festivals Radio Awards and some of the stories about the sleep-deprived parents of twins long-listed by the 2022-2023 Comedy Women in Print Prize. More festival updates soon!

Sharp Pains has been longlisted for Ab Fab legend Helen Lederer‘s 2022-2023 Comedy Women in Print Prize! I am beyond elated and utterly flabbergasted to have crept onto this list in the company of so many awe-inspiring witty women writers! Helen Lederer’s involvement is the icing on the cakey, giving me an absolutely fabulous excuse to gratuitously tag Absolutely Fabulous on this post! Merry Christmas!

The Moody Foodie will be making a return as a spoof columnist and digestive supplement. After accidentally being published in the Food and Drink section of the SCMP’s Post Magazine, I have been cooking up ideas for a tasteless new column. After my first offering was deemed “too outlandish” (I know, I know – shocking), I’ve concocted a new recipe for disaster. I’m not going to reveal the ingredients but consider this a warning that you may soon need a bigger bucket…

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3175408/recipe-disaster-how-quiet-day-baking-her

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3188689/masterchef-wannabes-and-wildly-implausible-meals

These are coming out thick and fast! My latest humour column just hit VYP on YouTube! This one’s a painful one and called Scrub

Listen to Scrub on RTHK Radio 3 and read the goofy column in the SCMP here! Catch up on missed radio episodes of Sharp Pains here!

Scrub on RTHK Radio 3

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3139252/when-my-ugly-husband-lost-face-bathroom-beauty-product-raid