Polly, Metamorphosis and the BookFest

It was a hectic day and quite rightly so. Author Polly Morland was in town for BookFest.

Speaking at the University of Portsmouth in the afternoon, Polly addressed a room full of students, academics, aspiring authors and book fans.

Polly animatedly discussed her fascination with changes and what she discovered in her writing journey with her latest book, Metamorphosis.

Between reading and elaborating on some of the chapters in the book, Polly was philosophical about how people are affected by changes in their lives. Big or small she was advocating for us to embrace change.

We as humans are always changing, like the cells in our body. Change is built into our lives.

Change can happen at any time and the interplay between internal and external agency might create the stimulus for change.

This brought to mind the writing exercises I did with the Southsea Writing Group I joined last month. I wasn't expecting anything other than I thought it would be fun to meet new people and I'm usually quite free on Sundays.

Little did I know that the group created the stimulus I needed to start writing my cookbook and the memoir I have always wanted to write. Perhaps it was my mother's death last year that made it the more urgent, but whatever it is I'm so into my writing at the moment and enjoying every minute of it.

Polly was right when she said this afternoon

"The option to make a change on your life

is the very essence of freedom"

So wherever you are in your life or in your writing journey, take a look at the rest of the BookFest programme and, who knows, perhaps freedom is in the written words for you too.

To find out more about BookFest go to www.portsmouthbookfest.co.uk

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