updates

and equine greetings

Today I write from the Swedish countryside, where I am enjoying participation in a mad writers' retreat. There are six of us here together (plus a dog, two cats, two horses and a pony) and the week has fallen into a lovely routine of focused writing throughout the day followed by a communal meal and socialising into the evening. What a treat this has been.

And sorely-needed, I might add. There has been a dearth of writing for me over the past months – as my subscribers here will know from my long absences. My hands have been full in setting up the Centre for Mad Culture UK. One element of this workload has been preparing a new website (no small task) and I proudly offer the link below for your perusal. While incomplete and still requiring tweaks to its design and its content, the overall structure provides a strong foundation for ongoing development.

I've also been busy filling out various funding applications and tending to the red tape elements of this new enterprise. While we hope someday to become sustainably self-funding, we are currently seeking support from funders to lay the groundwork of a start-up business. Needless to say, I am on a learning curve! Luckily, I love to learn.

One final thought to be offered here: if you happen to be in Edinburgh on Tuesday 12 August, please do consider joining me with Matthew Jackman for a presentation and discussion about mad activism. Matthew is a friend and a tireless advocate for the mad movement. He will be visiting Edinburgh from Australia and we will be welcoming him for this event at the Outhouse on Broughton Street Lane. Details and tickets can be found below.

Centre for Mad Culture UK website

Euphoric Mind: an evening with Matthew Jackman, mad activist extraordinaire