Keeping the House is 1 year old. Collecting my wares, thanking them Expressing gratitude to something that has changed my worldview. I protect Keeping the House because there's a part of my soul in it. A thing of me that lives outside of my body. I keep going back to the heart of what made me go into the precarious world of being an artist. Praying. I guess it's because it is always there, this need to make something out of these feelings. I watched back a video of when I first read the beautiful offer letter Stefan sent me, with words of encouragement from Nicky and Jav at @andotherpics - in the video I'm so teary I had to catch my breath. Thank you to the booksellers who have made me sanctuaries across the world with your presence. To the reviewers and readers who saw the words. To my agent Donald for finding AOS. To Max Porter for being the most thoughtful editor ever. To my friends. Thank you to Rich from school, @lostintottenham for this shoot at @aseptic.studios back where the cover was first shot. Your visual signature has been one of the most important threads, I often wrote to your pictures. And to @alice_khabib and @haringeycp for this special bookiversary interview. Celebrating from and within communities, old and new. It's not always about the things we've done but who we do them for, and what our hopes are. I wanted to honor my loved ones with this story. The girl who is like a tree in the rain. The mother who holds without her palms being seen. The communities who are ever-moving, trying to find a way. Trying with love is all I know and want to do. 💙