life of a street dancer

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...

No one saw it coming. I woke up and it was the first thing I saw. I just kept saying, “What? What?” It took me a while to process it. I have nothing but respect for Chadwick Boseman. His grace and class especially with what he was going through. It's just amazing. I remember when Black Panther came out and just the excitement. We were getting a Marvel movie for the culture. Do you know how deep that is? Like I never thought I would see it. I took myself to the cinema because everyone was being long and the guy at the cinema upgraded my ticket for free and gave me free snacks. I remember he said, “Sis, you're gonna love it.” And I did. It was everything I wanted and more. Then the fact it's one of the top 10 highest  grossing movies EVER. We all wanted it to win an Oscar. On some level we knew it wouldn't  - come on we know how the Oscar's role but it should have. My 30th birthday was a Black Panther theme and it was the best party.  When the film came out, I read th...

How has a year gone by so quick? Last year I was in Wakanda for my 30th and now I'm 31. I'm trying not to moan too much about it cause every time I say, “Uh! I'm 31!” I get a side eye from people older than me. At least all the kids keep telling me that I look 24. It's what a girl needs to hear! For the first time, I think in years, I was so not excited for my birthday. The weather was on a mad one. It was either crazy hot or raining. What is the point of being born in August if you don't get guaranteed good weather? Luckily I have amazing people who planned the best stuff. Aleta and Alisha started it off first with taking me to this super gorgeous cake place in S. Kensington. The cake was everything! On my actual birthday (6th) Helen and I went to Lille. See we were meant to go to Paris but the price doubled a few days after we decided to go. I had never been to Lille so I didn't mind going. Helen brought a whole feast on the Eurostar including a birthday ...

The Lion King was EVERYTHING!!!! I swear me and Ebz were acting like we were in a sing along, a talk along, laughing too damn loud. It's visually such a gorgeous film  and there are a few different lines but it's still the same movie. I wish Rafiki was more fresh though. He was a bit more turnt in the animation and I wonder why Whoopi Goldberg didn't do the hyena's voice. Timon and Pumba are even funnier in this one. Ebz: Oh my gosh, Timon is you! (To be fair everything Timon said was defo something I would say) Me: Does that make you Pumba? We stayed to the end because you know that Marvel has programmed us to think that there is a bonus part. There isn't but the soundtrack is live! We were getting side eyes from the stewards but we didn't care. Hakuna Matata. This is the look of a woman who's officially in Leo season. It''s my birthday in 7 days. Let bear month begin :) The Open Pitch Day at Hashtag BLAK was ...interesting. First of all...

Do you know I've been featured in Cosmopolitan UK Magazine?—yes I was in Cosmo!  https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/worklife/careers/a14471156/changing-careers-tips-advice/ Just wanted to throw that out there :)  I'm back in dance! No where near the life I was living before. I want to have the choice of filming myself for the Beats book and I figured if I give myself a year of training I will kind of, maybe where I was. I've made myself accountable to two people who I know will ask me what classes I've done so no excuses. So Monday came along and I was planning what classes to do for the week and Aleta tells me she's teaching back to back and I should do it. I'm not gonna lie, I did think wtf? TWO HOURS! Then I remembered I used to dance for four hours back to back so if I can't do two then I really have fallen. The first routine was to Diva, Beyonce Homecoming album which is actually one of my fav songs so I really loved that one. I was done after that class...

We are officially in July. That means summer, summer, summer time (but it's London sooo....) and it also means my birthday is next month and 31 is looming closer and closer. Going from the best Wakanda themed 30th birthday party to now turning 31, which is just a blah age, I honestly don't know what to do. I was thinking of a day trip to Paris but the tickets went from £80 to £150 pretty much overnight which is some next joke. So I don't know whether to try another city or just do some fun stuff in London. Oh Paris would have been the best. I wanted to go to that Cuban restaurant again! This week has been a really good one. Hashtag BLAK officially launched on July 1st to do the best responses. I can't even believe that I have an inclusive publishing house! I just feel so damn proud that I'm actively making a differennce in publishing and will hopefully affect the shit statistics coming out. Merky Books (Stormzy's imprint) wished us congrats, which was really ...

Thanks to those who read my last blog about diversity in publishing. I know it was a more 'serious' tone than my usual blogs but it's a conversation that needs way more action and me and Helen had to get that of our chests. Now....I am 30 on Monday! I literally can't deal. I won't be in my 20's anymore. I am excited about my Wakanda themed birthday party on Saturday, although I have no idea what I'm doing for my actual birthday on Monday but even planning this party has got me exhausted. My skirt that was made for me was too poofy and then the designer was trying to argue with me that it was fine! Err what? Got it amended and then had to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a strapless bra because the bigger the boobs, the more expensive a bra is, which really sucks. A great present would be money and lots of it! I know alot of people hated their 20's but I LOVED my 20's. I admit it started off pretty shit. I was in a bad relationship for years...

Have you noticed something different? Those who have followed my blog will see that we have had a make over! Don't we look pretty? Thought it was time to switch it up, especially now that I will be posting weekly. See I say this but let's see if I actually do it ;) I am now 29 years old and do you know what? I don't even feel like my birthday even came. Even on my actual bday, it didn't feel like it. I went to Paris with Zarah for a week and honestly it was one of my best holidays. I had so much fun, we were legit depressed having to come back to London and it was 30 degrees out there. I've been to Paris a few times but this is the first time, I actually walked around (all day) and took my time exploring.  - We saw the Eiffel Tower at night where it sparkled  - Saw the Mona Lisa in the Louvre and she is legit the size of an A4 piece of paper, with glass and ropes surrounding her. We were very much like 'oh, that's Lisa?'  - Went to Cafe Oz an...

It's my birthday next week! 29 years old. Seriously how did this happen? I think I blinked and it's my birthday again. One kid said to me, “I feel like you just turned 25.” I'll be on holiday so I can party away my sorrows. I'm only half-joking. I'm running a birthday giveaway on Instagram from the 1st August to win a signed copy of my second book and some battle cards. Speaking off holidays, Zarah and I went to book and we had fraud done! As we went to book our holiday, someone used the money to book themselves a holiday! The bloody cheek. We got the money back but they tried to book twice. The the original deal we found was gone. Typical. Emily Knight I am...Awakened is officially with the typesetters! All glory to God because after I did book 1 I was like how am I going to do this again? It is so stressful! But this time round seems a lot more calm and I just can't wait to hold it. I got a book review for I am yesterday from Pop the butterfly. She said ...

Birthday month is coming to an end *crying* although I still have one last present on Monday. Yay! I had the best birthday and it was full of so many surprises. I saw Finding Dory, which gave me sad and happy tears. One minute I was busting up and the next I'm breaking down and crying,'Where's her family???' I got free drinks at Byron, free cake at Brew Box, then dinner at Absurd Bird. It's the best food I've ever had in London. The next day, I had a party and got a surprise cake and gifts and it was just so overwhelming.  Had lunch at Blue's Kitchen, went Bournemouth Beach (and caught loads of Pokemon OMG). We played volleyball and we were pretty awful. Like really awful but it was a gorgeous day, got a crazy tan and put my big toe in the water. I've had a blast of a birthday and have been surrounded by the best people. Roberta has officially ended. This is my third pop up story and I'm so proud that I wrote it. It's funny because I wa...