This is a column about language, specifically about getting comfortable with the singular use of the pronoun they. While the driving force in favour of the singular they is the LGBTQ+ community, which uses it not only to include both men and women but also to refer to non-binary people…

A few years ago, if I’d used this article to advise you of the ideal tone for content marketing, I’d have said: produce writing that’s clever, compelling and clear. I’d have asserted that the best practice is clean, concise writing — with your brand’s personality applied on top, for authenticity…

My husband is not a morning person. By contrast, my eyes open at 6am — Monday to Sunday — and for several hours I’m like a nagapie (bush baby): wide awake, deeply anxious, and desperate for distraction. As a result, I spend a lot of time reading articles. This morning…

I have four mission statements to share with you. Two come from real organisations and two I made up in the shower. Can you guess which are which1? Our mission is to design world-class products and produce people-centred solutions that meet our customers’ needs. To deliver commercially sustainable world-class services…

How to have better conversations post-pandemic Perhaps it’s just me, but the pandemic has affected my ability (and desire) to socialise. I find small talk more difficult, eye contact more intense, and engagement more exhausting. …

Is swearing really a sign of intelligence — or is that whole argument just bullsh*t? And what does it mean for communication? I was all ready to lap up the literature that proved, once and for all, that I, swearer extraordinaire, am one of the smarter ones. …

I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. (Not even tea is everyone’s cup of tea. I mean, why consider tea in a world where, thank G-d, there’s coffee?) Unsurprisingly, perhaps, some people find me very opinionated. Others think my style is a bit much. I was also once accused of using…

A client of mine got very cross today. Not with me, thank goodness… But because her firm traditionally addresses its own clients as “Dear Sirs”. Even when they are female or when they have not specified a preferred gender. In 2021, this won’t do. My client said, and she’s right…

Yoh. Content gets prettier every day. Back in 2008, when I started blogging, my highest priorities were capital letters, full stops and paragraph spacing. Today, we’re not in Copy Kansas anymore, Toto. Every day I become more aware of the extent to which writing is designing1, of how our primary…