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