December’s Are You Sitting Comfortably?
Home Matters by Penny Wincer
With twinkling lights on the tree and the fire going, we’re turning our attentions homeward for this month’s Are You Sitting Comfortably. Anyone who follows either one of us on Instagram will know that home is most definitely where the heart is. So, the book we have chosen to share with you this month shares all the joy of home – the perfect armchair companion as we settle into the festive period.
As an interiors photographer, our guest author, Penny Wincer, found that walking through a stranger’s home, listening to them explaining the history of the space, and the meaning of precious objects, was one of the most joyful aspects of her work. Wishing to tell those stories and explore her own reflections on the homes she has lived in over the years, she wrote Home Matters.
Through interviews and beautiful photographs, Home Matters walks us through the houses of 13 artists, designers and writers, inspiring us to reflect on how we want our own homes to feel. Bringing together multiple perspectives, all centred on how we create homes to meet our needs, Penny considers an eclectic range of spaces, considers a different aspect of what goes into creating a home and invites the reader to reflect on their own memories, needs and constraints.
Penny has spent the last 15 years telling stories of home. A writing coach as well as a writer, she has written for The Telegraph, BBC Radio 4, Red Magazine, the iPaper and also co-hosts the podcast Not Too Busy To Write which a finalist in the 2023 Independent Podcast Awards. Penny’s first book Tender was published by Coronet Books in 2020. Her short story Missing Things was runner up in the Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Prize 2022. As an interiors and lifestyle photographer, she has shot for magazines and brands such as Country Living, Living Etc, House Beautiful, Guardian Weekend and many more.
Home Matters is a book for those who want to think deeply about their homes, as well as be inspired by the beauty and joy that others have created within their own spaces. It is an invitation to follow Penny and her camera, eavesdropping on conversations and sharing stories of how homes have been shaped and the people who have shaped them. It also offers the perfect opportunity for us to reflect on our homes and consequently, their context within our own lives. It’s about what makes a home more than just somewhere to live.
We can’t wait to chat to Penny all about the homes which have shaped her, what it’s like to explore the homes of others and what makes a home for her. We hope you’ll join us too on Tuesday 10thDecember at 7pm, live on Instagram.
Buy your copy of Home Matters here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/authorlyfondofbooks
