This is a page for our friends – people who used to be members of Pens Around the World and/or who have written us one or more guest blog posts.
2026
Frank Joussen | Adrian Tennant | Nabin K. Chhetri
2025
Sue Borgersen | Angela Williams | Norma Wong
2023-2024
Paddy Kelly | Mirjam Frosth | Ruth Tauber | Raissa Claire R. Falgui | Jimena Ferraris | Lisa Rose Wright | Marsali Taylor
2021-2022
Laura Besley | Pete Armstrong | Jim McCrory | Patricia Cole | Ali Taha
Like to appear here? Drop us a line using our contact form and pitch your guest blog post!
Note for Friends: If you want to check our copyright policy as it applies to material published on site and credited to you, please visit our Copyright page here.
Frank Joussen is a former German teacher and writer. His publications include two selections of his poetry, one a bilingual collaboration with Romanian poet Ana Cicio. He has co-edited two international anthologies of poetry/fiction in India and one of short stories in Germany. His poems and short stories have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies in Australia, the Republic of Ireland, Germany, Austria, Romania, Malta, the U.S.A., Canada, India, China, Thailand and Japan.
Frank’s guest post for us is coming soon!
Frank’s bilingual publication can be found at: https://buchshop.bod.de/das-verschwindende-land-the-disappearing-countryside-frank-joussen-9783759770387
Frank’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-joussen-29299030/
Adrian Tennant is a freelance teacher trainer, writer and consultant. He has been involved in English Language Teaching since 1989 and has worked in over 50 countries around the world. As a writer he has worked on a wide range of courses for many different publishers for Primary, Secondary and Adult courses. He lives in Cyprus with his wife and fifteen cats.
Adrian’s guest post for us is Writing – A way of life
Nabin K. Chhetri, is a poet and writer based in Scotland with a background in both prose and poetry. He holds an M.St in Creative Writing from Oxford University and an M.Litt. in The Novel from the University of Aberdeen.
As a creative writing tutor, he has conducted workshops and readings at esteemed institutions such as Oxford University and Robert Gordon University. Recognized by the Scottish Book Trust, he regularly leads creative workshops for diverse audiences.
You can visit Nabin’s website here: https://nabinkchhetri.com/
And his page on the website of the Scottish Books Trust here: https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/authors/nabin-chhetri
Nabin is the director of Mist and Mountain: A Creative Platform.
Nabin’s guest blog post for us: The Wonder of Solitude: A writer’s journey to Trélex (Switzerland)
Norma Wong is a social and political science researcher specialised in the field of international migration and integration policies. She was born in Hong Kong, but has lived in various countries in Asia and Europe for her education and work most of her life. She moved to Norway ten years ago, and now resides in the countryside of Oslo with her partner and her cat. Norma is an aspiring short story writer, and an active member of the Oslo Writers League.
Norma’s guest post for us is Away from home
Once described in the writing world as a ‘third space inhabitant’, S.B. Borgersen, originally from England, writes, makes art, and loves gardening on the glorious shores of Nova Scotia, Canada. Her favoured genres are poetry, flash, and micro fiction.
Sue is published internationally in anthologies, and arts and literary magazines. An extensive list of her publications covering work of the past two decades can be found at www.sueborgersen.com.
Releasing in March 2025, Collected Novellas is Sue’s 7th book to be published by Unsolicited Press, bringing together three of her novellas (Passport to Perdita, Eva Matson, and Fishermen’s Fingers), in one volume. These were written during Sue’s time as a member of Pens Around the World, when (as she writes) generous members read early manuscripts.
Sue’s latest Guest Post for us is From Writer to Reader in 25 Years.
During the time Sue was a member of PATW, she wrote us the following blog posts: Launching Books during Pandemic Lockdowns | Poems Please (Writing Prompt) | Acknowledging Writing Groups | Profile your Characters Like a Pro (Writing Prompt) | When Writing is Akin to Knitting | Encounters and signs (Writing Prompt)
Angela Williams writes as Susan Carey and lives in the Netherlands. She has had short stories, poetry and flash fiction published and performed by amongst others: Liars’ League, Mslexia, Reflex Fiction, Flash Flood Journal, Reckon Review and Short Beasts. Her story, “A Pocket for Secrets” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
Blog: https://amsterdamoriole.com/writing/
X-Twitter: @su_carey
A Founder Member of Pens Around the World, Angela left us in 2021 to dedicate more time to her writing. She has written us several blog posts, most recently, Creative Healing: How Writing Helped Me Live with Cancer.
Here are the links to her earlier posts: The Ultimate Novel Writing Course: My Experience | Ten Remarkable Facts about Nijmegen | An Ostentation of Peacocks | Hair, our Crowning Glory | Monday Muse 5 April
Marsali Taylor grew up in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh. She read English at Dundee University and trained to be a teacher in Edinburgh. Her first teaching post was at Aith Junior High School in Shetland where she remained her whole teaching career. She lives now on Shetland’s scenic westside with her composer husband, Philip and three extremely spoiled cats.
She is the author in particular of the Shetland Sailing Mysteries series.
Marsali’s guest blog post for us: Coming home to a far off place
Marsali’s website: https://www.marsalitaylor.co.uk/
(Marsali Taylor’s portrait photo by John Carolan)
Lisa Rose Wright is the author of the Writing Home trilogy of travelogue memoirs which follow her adventures in Galicia and the Travels Around trilogy, beginning with Pulpo, Pig & Peppers, a gleeful travelogue around some of her favourite places in this wild land of myths and legends.
In 2007, Lisa left a promising career as an ecologist catching protected reptiles and amphibians, and kissing frogs, to move to beautiful green Galicia in the remote northwest of Spain with her blue-eyed prince (now blue-eyed husband), ‘S’.
Lisa is happiest outside in her huerta weeding and growing her own food, watching the antics of her chickens, or in her kitchen cooking interesting recipes on her wood-burning range.
Lisa’s guest blog post for us: The Accidental Author
Link to Lisa’s website https://lisarosewright.wixsite.com/author
Lisa’s Amazon author page https://amazon.com/author/lisarosewright
Lisa’s Facebook page https://facebook.com/lisarosewright.author
Jimena Ferraris is a neuroscientist and teacher at Stockholm University. Her studies focus in particular on how the brain controls reproduction and, specifically, breastfeeding. She has a PhD. in Physiology and has been a researcher since her early 20s. Jimena comes from Argentina, but her scientific career has brought her to live in Sweden.
Parallel with her science studies in Argentina, Jimena took courses to deepen her knowledge of literature and creative writing. In Stockholm, now, she started and co-leads a study circle called Nomeolvides Literatura (Forget-me-not Literature). Members of the circle analyse, discuss, and enjoy literature written in Spanish, mainly from the pens of Latin American writers.
Jimena’s Guest Blog post for us: The world around my pen.
For more about Jimena’s study circle, see the Instagram channel @nomeolvides_literatura. Otherwise Jimena’s personal Instagram channel is @jime.ferraris.
Filipina writer Raissa Claire R. Falgui is the author of the story collections Dreaming of the Sea and Virtual Centre and other sci-fi stories, the YA novel of historical fiction Woman in a Frame, and several children’s books. She is now an editor at Milflores Publishing.
Raissa’s guest blog post for us: The Author as an Actor. (In her picture here to the right she is channeling her inner Frida Kahlo!)
Raissa has an active presence on the Good Reads website.
Ruth Tauber is a Scottish-Swedish writer who lives near Stockholm. She has had non-fiction published by Caught by the River and Sidetracked Magazine and is now working on her first novel. With a deep interest in migration, place and the natural world, she writes compulsively between copy assignments for global Swedish brands and making snacks for her kids. She loves hip hop, staring at campfires, ancient Scottish poetry and talking about creativity with anyone who will listen.
Ruth’s Guest Blog post for us: Finding a hyphen
Visit Ruth’s website
Visit her professional copywriting service.
Mirjam Frosth is a multi-hyphenate professional in the arts with a background in poetry, visual art, and bookmaking. As Writer-in-residence at the Harn Museum of Art, she helped visitors and colleagues find their creative power through poetry. At Moderna Museet, she helped research and create publications and exhibitions like Nan Goldin’s This Will Not End Well, which was recognized by Hyperallergic as one of the best art books of 2023. Her poetry has been published by the likes of Harvard Review, B O D Y, and Ghost City Press. Her research at Stockholm University delved into poet Frank O’Hara’s writing, investigating the influences of post-WWII technology and art on his practice. She is currently based in Stockholm, Sweden, with her boyfriend, as well as her dog, Sten.
Mirjam’s guest blog post for us: Connection, art, and the written word
Mirjam’s previously published works and other projects can be found at mirjamfrosth.com. You’re more than welcome to say “hi” to her and follow along for updates on her Instagram profile @mirjamfrosth.
Paddy Kelly was born in Ireland and narrowly avoided being a farmer. A romantic accident moved him to Sweden where he remains to this day, now a huge fan of standing in line, wind-driven snow and fermented fish. He’s had stories, poems and articles published all over, in places ranging from The Irish Times to Analog Science Fiction. He works as a technical writer, using small words to explain big things. Among his hobbies are urban hiking, Belly Dance, board gaming, acorns and, perhaps ironically, farming.
Paddy’s Guest Blog post for us: On Giving Up Writing
Visit Paddy’s WordPress blog
Follow Paddy on LinkedIn
Visit his Amazon store page
Ali Taha: Hailing from the shores of Nova Scotia, Ali is the son of Lebanese immigrants and a first generation Canadian. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Ali served as the Editor-in-Chief of his campus’ newspaper, The Medium. He is currently Co-Editor-in-Chief of Archetype magazine.
Ali was a member of Pens Around the World between 2021 and 2022 and wrote us the following posts: Leaky Individuals and Learning From What Came Before.
Patricia Cole is a retired accountant. An unfortunate accident left her unable to work full time so she decided to turn her hand to something completely different. She discovered an aptitude for writing fiction and has had some success with short stories and at the grand age of 75 had her first novel A Greek Summer published under her maiden name of Patricia Frew. She was born in Scotland but has lived in Canada, the Turks and Caicos Islands, a small island in Greece for 15+ years. She now lives in East Anglia.
See and hear Patricia reading from her novel A Greek Summer.
A Founder Member of Pens Around the World, Patricia has written the following posts for us: Harness Your Passion | Does Living Abroad Broaden Your Mind (Pensive) | Common Mistakes | Unforgettable Experiences (Pensive) | Philological Challenge (Pensive) | Spring is in the Air
Jim McCrory has an MA in Creative Writing and BA in English Literature and Creative Writing. Although he specialises in the personal essay form, he also likes to try his hand at poetry and flash fiction. His short story, ‘Taken for a Ride’, set in Sicily was published (2020) in A Multilingual Decameron: Stories of a Different World. He is currently working on a series of personal essays under the theme What It Means to be Human. Jim has lived in Norway and travelled around the globe, but his home is on Scotland’s West Coast where, he writes, “the Atlantic winds bend me, and the colours make me young.”
Jim was a probationary member of PATW for a period in 2022, before leaving us to join a group formed with his MA coursemates. Jim’s daily blog: A Writer’s Notebook
Before he left, Jim wrote us the following Bi-weekly Wisdom blog post: The Art of the Personal Essay.
Pete Armstrong once threw a two-pitch inning; once took a wrong turning and got lost in The Bronx; once walked into a moose; once had a cryptic crossword published; once solved a mathematics problem that had defeated Paul Erdős; once played in an actual ice hockey game; once worked as a secret boffin; once won a fiction competition; once ran a marathon; once read Jerome K. Jerome in Swedish; once hit a walk-off home run; once had a book published; once won a judo black belt; once programmed a supercomputer; once came last in a county 1500 metres final; once illustrated his own children’s book; once threw 180 in a darts match; once walked to work in -30 C; once won a pool game with a full table clearance; once got happily married; four times held his newly born child and countless times read his children books, which is the best thing ever.
Pete was a Founder Member of Pens Around the World
Laura Besley is the author of the micro- & flash fiction collections: (Un)Natural Elements, 100neHundred – shortlisted for the Sabateur Awards – and The Almost Mothers. Her work has been published widely online as well as in print, including Best Small Fictions (2021). She has a Masters in Creative Writing and is an editor with Flash Fiction Magazine.
Having lived in the Netherlands, Germany and Hong Kong, she now lives in land-locked central England and misses the sea.
Read more of her writing on her website at laurabesley.com.
Follow Laura on BlueSky @laurabesley
Follow Laura on Instagram @besley_laura
Laura was the first non-member Guest Blogger at Pens Around the World. She has written the following post for us: Writing is Like a Team Sport