This time last year I didn’t know anything about blogging beyond my son’s travel blog from Ghana that I followed (avidly). Now I’m well and truly bitten by the blogging bug and am happily looking forward to ‘blog day’ on the 31st August – a day to discover new blogs around the world and share them with a wider audience.
Ahead of the 31st there’s a ‘blog-tag-game’ going around to highlight five blogs from anywhere in the world that aren’t necessarily your blog’s subject matter, viewpoint, or style. I heard about this from Rosa (in Hawaii) and read about it over at Liz’s place (in Chicago). This connection with people in other parts of the world is one of the things I enjoy the most about blogging – leaving a comment in the middle of (their) night, knowing they’ll wake up to it in the morning; taking part in conversations with people across time zones, across continents: our words and phrases joining up to tell stories together across the vastness of the oceans that might divide us.
One of the things that puzzles me though is how few UK and European blogs I come across ‘out there’ – well no doubt you’re there, but we could do with increasing our profile 
So here are five European blogs that I’d encourage you to dip into and explore:
The Cartoon Blog – witty and creative not to mention some amazing cartoons that you’re free to use on your blog
How to Italy – one of my favourite blogs, Emma guides you effortlessly through ex-pat living in Italy. (It’s hot there just now, so you’ll find her on vacation till early September)
Living out Loud is written by happiness coach Hilda Carroll over in Ireland. There’s always food for thought at Hilda’s site, not least her regular thoughts for the week
Rachel from North London is a blog that contains some of the best personal writing I’ve come across: clear, funny, confident, emotional, powerful. Her blog began in the dark days after the 7/7 bombings in London but covers a range of material from civil liberties to post-traumatic stress, family trauma to living with a fat cat who’s too scared to catch a mouse…
Life 2.O – well I think Nick Smith is writing from the UK, but no matter – his blog is amazing, full of thoughtful, honest, insightful writing. Clear, plain English that gets right to the heart of the matter and sometimes just says exactly what you were waiting to hear.
It would be great to hear from you ahead of the 31st with world wide blogs that you read and enjoy – or those that you host and author…
Don’t be shy – this is a great opportunity for us to make connections, to spread the word, to join up the dots across the oceans and start to tell a different sort of story.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you very much for the link and the extremely kind words. I look foward to exploring your recommendations
Joanna, if you lean forward and touch your screen you’ll feel the heat from my blushes. ‘Good writing’ is something I aspire to… i.e. always seen as future tense, hopefully. So this is unexpected. Thank you.
Like Rachel, I’m looking forward to exploring those links over the weekend.
PS. I’m a Yorkshireman, but ma wee granny was Scottish.
Hi Joanne, great post. My we publish it in our news?. Thanks Leo.
Hi Leo, thanks, and yes, sure.
Joanna
Rachel, thanks for stopping by. I love the writing on your blog and am just about a third of the way through your book “Out of the Tunnel”
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Tunnel-Rachel-North/dp/1905548753
It’s gripping.
My hat’s off to you for having the courage to tell your story.
Joanna
Hi Nick
No need for blushes.
I guess it all depends what we mean by ‘good writing’.
For me it means writing with spirit, with good intention, with clarity. Making a powerful connection with your reader. Saying what you mean and meaning what you say.
I think you tick all of those boxes
Joanna
PS I guess the combination of Yorkshire and Scotland is a good one for telling it as it is…
Hi Joanna – thanks for the kind words. I’ll check out your other links too.
Dave, thanks for stopping by. Thanks too for being so generous with your cartoons for bloggers – they’re a fantastic resource.
Joanna