Brett Davies
Photosightfaces

Why this blog? Here are some answers, first written in 2014 and updated in 2018.

The questions I was set:

What am I working on?

I want to build a gallery of personal experiences and impressions that I hope will tweak the curiosity we all have.

How does my work/writing differ from others of its genre?

My blog is different in that it does not specialise in any one area (if I tried this I’m fairly certain that within a few posts I would bore myself to a stop). Instead I have chosen to grasp at flashes of life as I rush past. The Phraser includes: a large section on Naples, Italy – developed after two years living on the outskirts of the city; some articles on Zimbabwe – where I was born and went to school; a section on the United Kingdom – where I live now; a wide range of reviews and interviews – particularly to do with books; and a few pieces of more general writing.

Why do I write what I do?

Two topics that catch my attention wherever I am in the world are people and books. I want to know what’s inside them, and then to capture this in words. I enjoy the process of holding life still for a moment as it gives me the chance to explore the depths and edges of the every day, and of the extraordinary. There’s also, always, the hope that if I’m lucky enough to come across a few quieter days, I might produce some ‘thought’ or story of my own.

How does my writing process work?

My writing process tends to be a mixture of blog-pressure followed by hectic tension. The stress comes in two parts: first – the hunt for the life-space to begin, and second – the effort to secure enough time at the end of the writing to edit, cut, edit, cut, and then have one final edit …. and cut.

I’m always open to suggestions as to where to take the blog next.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2018