Sanmao on Not Writing

Next week I’m going on a short holiday, and taking a break from all the writing I’ve been doing of late (various articles and book chapters in the works).

So it is timely that I came across the following little quote today from Taiwanese writer Sanmao (三毛) in her wonderful travelogue and memoir, “Stories of the Sahara” (撒哈拉的故事), a quote that I thought worth sharing.

Writing is important. But sometimes putting down the pen and not writing is actually more important.

寫，是重要，而有時擱筆不寫，卻是更重要。

So I’m looking forward to a week of not writing, somewhere in a yurt down in East Anglia. More when I get back!