I’m thrilled to have been awarded a micro-commission as part of Wandsworth Council’s year as London Borough of Culture.

Alongside a programme of large scale events and festivals, the Council has put in place a light-touch application process for Wandsworth artists to apply for a small grant to create new work on the theme of health and happiness.

When I saw the call-out, I donned my thinking cap and scribbled down some initial thoughts. Having created work mostly in Battersea, this seemed like a good opportunity to expand my reach into other parts of the borough, whilst still keeping a connection to my local area. I also thought about how walking often stimulates my writing, not to mention the physical and emotional benefits we derive from walking. And then, pondering when I might schedule this as-yet-unnamed project combining walking and writing, I thought about the winter months after the frenzy of Christmas and New Year, how they seem to drag… So how about something to look forward to in February? How about embracing the season, getting outside, and looking for early signs of spring? And then encapsulating that experience in words.

I’m partial to a bit of alliteration, so the title of my project pretty much wrote itself: Winter Walks for Well-being and Writing. I plan to lead three walks followed by poetry workshops, each once based at a different library: Battersea Park, Wandsworth Town and Roehampton. Participants will then be invited to contribute to a booklet of poems inspired by the walks, which will be distributed for free.

What makes this commission particularly special, is that the successful projects are chosen by a panel of Wandsworth residents. It’s wonderful to know that my idea chimed with this group of Wandsworth culture vultures.

I’m looking forward to exploring new parts of the borough and planning the walks and workshops. And for once, I can say I’m looking forward to February!

You can find out about all the recent commissions here.