After the very first event I produced for Literary Natives, I came home and collapsed into my bed. I missed my flight the next day because I simply couldn’t peel myself from under the covers. I had forgotten the last time I had tucked into a proper meal and not just snacks I would eat on the go. I couldn’t remember if I had even taken my iron tablets for the day and if that was the reason I felt like the ceiling was caving in.
The launch for my organisation went extremely well, so much so that part of what I was experiencing was actually positively overwhelming. I remember noticing how well everyone got on with one another and how people exchanged numbers and social media handles at the end. That was the reason I started Literary Natives in the first place: to provide a therapeutic space where writers could talk openly about their experiences, and a place where they can escape the mental pressures that come with the written life.