Hiya! We’re all agreed that this is a simulation, right…?

When I applied to perform at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, it was a bit of a shot in the dark. I was just looking for opportunities to gig and perform onstage, and I didn’t expect anything to come of it. The Lit Fest is a local institution, and with the big names in attendance, I did not for a moment think I would get an email asking me to take part in not one but two events!

I’m beyond excited. What a special opportunity to be able to share art that I have worked so hard to express – and what a chance to get up in front of an audience to be completely myself! It astounds me that I am not yet feeling nervous about it at all – I’m raring to go. Friends and family and my incredible teachers are all planning to come. But what feels even more exciting is that I actually have something HUGE to promote with my performances. Shameless self-promo for the book aside, I just want the pinch-me moment of being able to say…”Hi, I’m Memoona, and I’m a poet. My debut collection is going to be out soon!”

You can find out all about my two events here! They’re right around the corner, and I would love to see as many of you there as possible! It is completely free to attend, and there are some absolute heroes of mine on the line-up, so do be sure to check it out!

I imagine telling my 13 year-old self that this would be happening, and it seems so ludicrous. She would latch onto a shred of hope, but ultimately feel completely hopeless about it becoming a reality. My words are so important to me. I’m not the best at talking – social anxiety does that to you, but often, I also can’t connect to my emotions fully until I put pen to paper. It gives me that gateway, and when I am onstage performing it – it feels like I’m holding that gateway wide open, letting in blazing sunlight. Cheltenham is a stage I have only dreamt of performing on, so I cannot even imagine the sunlight this experience is going to let in for me. I hope you can make it, and that my work resonates with you!

I hope you are enjoying the beginnings of autumn, and I wish you safety and soundness in your day! Thank you for reading, and see you soon!

Lots of love,

SS xx