The Library
Wonder, nature, folklore, culture, creativity.
I write about all sorts.
This is a selection of my writing.
More recent work is on Substack.
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The Woman Who Collects Signs
We got married in Italy. And for a country famous for love and grand romantic gestures, the wedding vows were surprisingly practical. I remember reading them for the first time and being a bit disappointed at how unromantic they were. No poetry. No promises of eternal love. They were more like a job description. All…
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Honouring the Women Who Built Us
I’m writing this on International Women’s Day. I love this day seeing all the stories about women. Making a mark on their own worlds in their own ways. I feel so lucky to have been surrounded by remarkable and strong women growing up. And now as I am older, I have women who lift me…
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The Classroom We Don’t See
My first parents evening was spent on a tiny chair, looking through a tray of scribbles. I spent my last one sat at home looking at a screen on Zoom. Reflecting on how much the role of ‘school mum’ has shaped my life. I was crying before it even started. I’m awe of teachers but…
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Home and Away
I held it together (only just) on Monday as I left my son at the airport. His first trip away from home. I heard and felt that familiar ache of homesickness when I received his first call home. And in all the messages after that. We’ve all felt it. That yearning feeling to be at…
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Forgotten Rituals, Remembered Joy
I can’t remember when I last wrote a stack of Christmas cards. I still have loads of the ones the kids made in primary school. I didn’t even send them back then. But I was chair of the PTA who organised the ‘another thing’ on the never ending list of things that a parent has…
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A Gift That Keeps Moving
“I read a book about that.” This is something I say often during conversations with friends. It’s become a bit of a joke now. It is always met with, “Of course you have.” This week, we were talking about Black Friday and the barrage of ads screaming at us from every direction. My feed is…
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The Beauty in Watching Life
We spent half term in Dubai. I’ve been a few times as my husband works out there for periods through the year. I will never get used to the speed of it, I have to brace myself for it. A city that feels like it is never enough. With a skyline of tall buildings that…
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Hold Onto Your Hugs
I love motivational quotes. I know they are marmite but I am big fan. One I came across this week by Paolo Coelho really resonated: “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” During covid, I became a news addict with an affliction to Twitter. I couldn’t stop refreshing it, looking for…
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Proper Post
On my alternative to do list for February was a task to write a love letter. This is an ode to a friend that I wanted to share online because that is where our friendship lives. I’ve always loved writing. Especially letters. I had so many pen pals when I was younger before communication was…
By Eve Bell 