I told the stories of Romanian spa resorts and theater actors. Now I tell you stories of West Midlands&more.
I started writing at the age of 9. Two poetry books published in Romanian, now I work on two novels in English inspired by my family history.
Prague, Copenhagen, Berlin, Istanbul, New Orleans - I visited all of them and wondered with a heart wide open at their beauty and personality.
Do you remember your favourite book character as a toddler? And what genre the book was? Even children’s books go by genres, and mine was a particular mix of interstellar fantasy. From there, my sci-fi history just carried on, naturally. Titled The Little Fire Horse (I mention it in my childhood memoirs fragment here),…
Since the Star Trek convention at the NEC Birmingham, last month, I meant to write about the evolution of sci-fi series as I have experienced it. I became as a fan of Next Generation right after the fall of communism in Romania, in 1989. And in recent years I caught up with most of the other big…
My first time at Stafford Poetry Slam, I performed this poem in the first round. I went through to the the final, where I came second. I haven’t done many slams before, despite writing since childhood, so I am very pleased with the result. Trying to decide what poems could fit with this event, I…
What is a hackday and how can it help improve well-being? A bunch of professionals with a background in health care, coaching, non-profit, digital tech and journalism researched a few health related data sets available. Also, a number of participants brought their own ideas on board, discussed and looked at available information. The Wellness Hackday…
When we talk about health care, the NHS, health and wellbeing data behind it all, we research to understand the situation better. Also, data can help us find better possible solutions. At the same time, data comes alive with people’s stories. They can empower, but also trigger debate and point out cracks in the system.…
When Ant-Man and The Wasp ended, I realised what I liked most about this series. This atypical superhero makes the sweetest, most innocent and heart warming movies. But the second part sets a special twist on the scene. If you have already watched it, you know what I am talking about. If you haven’t, I won’t spoil…
I have known doctors and hospitals since the age of 1 year and 10 months, due to asthma and severe bronchitis. My memory keeps no record of the first prolonged stay in the Children’s Hospital in Timisoara, Romania. But I clearly remember the mixture of disappointment with resignation when I felt life draining out of…
My partner’s daughter, Rosie, goes to high school starting this year! Her first day there, last week, sounded a bit scary and disappointing, but now she comes back home with a glint in her eyes and a knowing smile in the corners of her mouth. She reminds me of when, exactly her age, I won…
She organizes the spoken word events, on the last Thursday of every month, at Caffe del Nino in Cannock. Nominated at the Saboteur Awards 2018, providing nation wide recognition to open mic events, Scarlett’s evenings stand out through diversity, intensity and poetry quality. A soon to be published poet herself, she praises the local scene…
Already a fan of Emir Kusturica‘s movies since Arizona Dream, I kept Time of the Gypsies (1988) on my must-watch list for years. Circumstances made so that I only recently watched it. With a big liking for the soundtrack music by another Serbian artist, Goran Bregovic, by the music videos I anticipated a sad ending. I can tell you now how…
