Welcome to sidelines
My creative side hustle of sample short stories, poems, non fiction and personal reflections – written under my maiden name Lucy Hodges
Summer in Suburbia
A dystopian cli-fi set in the summer of 2025 inspired by an original composition by a British-French guitarist.
Baggage
Whoever said that you cease to care what others think of you had never stood in a hotel lobby wearing compression socks.
2020 Vision
A look back at the politics, people and turning points that shaped the LEP story - and their place in history.
Blackbird
A blackbird found at dawn becomes a meditation on death and renewal.
An Amateur Activist
The UK went to the polls in 2019 breaking months of Brexit deadlock. The rest is politics…
Metromover
A ride on Miami’s Metromover becomes a vivid snapshot of city life at night.
Tweet, Tweet
A fragment of overheard monologue becomes a sharp snapshot of vulnerability and defiance.
Middle Lane
Joelle glanced up as she neared the shallow end for the 49th time. Middle age, mistakes and the slow re‑casting of guilt.
Willie Atkinson interview
In 1995, Hammersmith School rose from the ashes to become the Phoenix School with Willie Atkinson at the helm.
Joe Penhall interview
An early interview with fellow news reporter and fledging playwright Joe Penhall.
Gary Rhodes interview
Digging deep into my old cuttings file, this was one of my first interview assignments as a cub reporter.