So what's it like to be a writer?

The Cultural Exchanges Festival 2019 at De Montfort University has really given me a chance to explore my field as a writer. Today, I got an amazing opportunity to attend a talk with Nikesh Shukla, best known for being the editor of the best selling essay collection The Good Immigrant.

Not only was I honoured to be there and hear the discussion which he had with Mahsuda Snaith, (prize winning author of The Things We Thought We Knew) but I was also inspired by the
journey which he took us on.

I began to realise that being a writer is not only all about focusing on writing books. I already knew that being a writer can be really tiring. But Nikesh's speech about all the things that pull him away from being a writer was quite incredible. I realised how often we disregard the little things in life which we take for granted. It's only when we need a break, that we realize how valuable those little things are.

This wasn't just a good experience for me. It also encouraged me to proceed further in my writing career. The Cultural Exchanges Festival has proved a great source of inspiration for me and for others.

E J Manso Henriques