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 Quiet Cost of Convenience
Today is International Zero Waste Day. Right now, we’re using the resources of 1.75 Earths every year.Earth Overshoot Day gets earlier every single year.We’re borrowing from the future just to get through the present. I spent 15 years building a business that helped parents reduce waste.I thought reusing was the answer.But over time, I realised…
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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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When We Borrow From Tomorrow
I went to the theatre on Friday night to see Maxine Peake, my favourite actress. She always leaves me with thoughts that either make me spin or make me ponder. This time it was the latter. In the play called Doubt, her character said ‘Easy choices today mean consequences tomorrow.’ The line cut through me,…
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The Courage to Speak Out
Last week, I wrote a post about parents’ evening and a Mother Teresa quote that had been echoing in my mind. I don’t often receive replies to my newsletters, though I treasure them when I do (please write back if you ever feel moved to). Last Sunday, I heard from Ana. Ana is a long-time…
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Where Time Meets Space
As I’ve gotten back into my post Christmas routine, I’ve noticed something. When people ask how my Christmas was, I caught myself saying, “We didn’t really do much. But I felt so busy.” I usually do loads of jigsaws over Christmas. But I didn’t seem to find the time to do one this year. It…
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In the Space Between Doing and Being
Last Christmas was so different. It is usually a much needed rest followed by a surge of energy ready to make plans for the new year ahead. A few days before Christmas, on the winter solstice, I had closed the doors on a business that had been my life for years. It wasn’t just a…
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When Following Leads to Belonging
I used to call my little ones my sheep. They’d follow me everywhere – round the shops, through the park, wherever we went. It was like having my own tiny flock trailing behind me. That is, until one day at Tesco when my littlest sheep decided she wasn’t going to follow anymore. One minute, we’re…
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How to be a good ancestor
Life moves so fast. We can’t believe how quick our children grow. Or how soon Christmas comes around. We’re glued to our screens, racing through tasks, always onto the next thing. In all that noise, it’s easy to lose sight of what grounds us. We forget what truly connects us to something bigger. I’ve been…
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Decluttering
I’m a huge fan of less. I read Stuffocation many years ago and it is a seminal book that completely changed my outlook. Upon completion of the book, I went into overdrive with clearing out stuff. If it wasn’t stuck down, it went on eBay. Less is definitely more in my life. I ask myself…
By Eve Bell 