2020 - I didn't see that coming

I managed to get through the whole of the year without getting sick (well except the suspected heart attack. It wasn't by the way) but now I'm recovering from a cold and yeah it sucks. Plus it's so cold that even with the heating on, it still feels freezing.

2020 was a year and a half. I actually had a pretty good year when I think about it but I just found it mentally exhausting. I am not a home body so lockdown was brutal. Not being able to see my first nephew for the first 4 months of his birth because of COVID was shit. Actually the beginning of the year was really shit that's why I didn't blog in January. I remember I quit my own company! Having a book out this year was interesting. YALC got cancelled, no school visits, no launch party in a bookshop.

So many deaths from Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Chadwick Boseman, George Floyd, Naya Rivera, Nicole Thea and so many more. Then COVID stole the lives of thousands of people.

The Black Lives Matter Movement was historic. Mentally draining but it was much needed and I was so proud of everyone for speaking up and demanding change. Despite all the shit, there were lots of great things that happened and I'm forever thankful.

- Emily Knight I am...Becoming coming out to amazing reviews

- The crazy amount of press I've done this year

- Signed to The Bent Agency

- Having a Hashtag book in Vogue Magazine

- Funding from Arts Council

- Launching The Diverse Book Awards and ink!

- My nephew being born

- All the Verzuz battles that made up for all the concerts I missed

- Black is King

- Being on the panel for #AtHomeYALC

- Signed 3 authors to Hashtag BLAK

- Part of the World Book Day Advisory Group

- Our Hashtag Black History Month campaign

- Baller Boys hitting number 1 despite bookshops and schools being closed

- The Author School turning 5

- My storytime hitting over 5000 virus

- Being named an Inspirational Woman by We Are The City

- The Voice Newspaper picking EK3 as one of their five literary reads

- Being part of Children In Needs - Children In Read

- Two production companies interested in Emily Knight

I know we're not out of the COVID waters yet but this will end soon. Stay safe and keep your spirits up. I pray for a better 2021 x

Comments

In the words of Carrie Bradshaw and just like that I was a YA author

It feels like the right time but this will be my last entry. I know! I've been writing in this blog for TEN YEARS but this year it just felt off. I couldn't pinpoint why that was but the other day I realised I started this blog because I was a dancer who was trying to understand the publishing world. I also was so scared of anyone reading my work hence why I started a blog. Ten years later I have fulfilled my goals! Back in May I had finished my first YA book, a love story based around a Black owned bookshop in Stoke Newington. How I wrote this book when I was heartbroken I have no idea. I vaguely remember sitting on the couch with headphones on playing O Holy Night on repeat at 3am writing. I made my deadline and I wasn't sure if the book was good. My first round of submission for another book had very conflicting feedback and honestly I didn't have it in me to experience that again. I just wanted a deal. Fast forward to September 21st and my book was sent on submissio...

My meal was £22 and it was so small I ate it in 3 mouthfuls.

Happy World Afro Day! I had no idea this was even a day so yes for us! How gorgeous is this? I can't remember what country it's in but I saw it some weeks ago on Twitter. Getting into the swing of writing these blogs is harder than I thought. I'm not sure why I'm finding it tricky to stay on top of it and I know I'll regret it especially when I read back over it at the end of the year. I turned another year older and despite it being a year that is turning out to be unpredictable I'm thankful that I'm here to see another birthday. It's always hard planning what to do, something that I know won't cost an arm and a leg. In the end I spent it eating lol. Helen and I went to this amazing Creole restaurant, literally a hidden gem that had the most amazing food and drinks that were even too strong for Helen! I have no idea why it rained on my birthday! In the middle of summer!! Honestly sometimes I can't deal with this country. Then I got changed for...

Phoebe screaming 'MY EYES' is the best way to describe how I felt seeing that picture.

Did anyone else blink and it's June? I can't even believe 6 months has gone and just so much has happened. Apart from my dad it's been a great year so far and for that I'm grateful. I'll honestly take any good news I can get at this point. I hit a career highlight. I got to chair a panel for The London Book Fair! Now to do this you usually have to pitch and I'm sure I've pitched before but this time the amazing Bec, who was organising it asked me to do it! It was so much fun and I wish it was longer but it made me look at my LBF journey and honestly wow. I went from no one talking to me, to winning Trailblazers to chairing LBF. What's so funny is I've always wanted to chair Waterstones events cause they look like loads of fun so hopefully now I'll get asked :). I was asked to do another LBF event - who am I even? Lol. I had to do a Q and A with Yomi Adegoke, co-author of Slay In Your Lane. So glad that I'm getting these fun opportunities. Ca...

life of a street dancer

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