Back to work, back to words: resetting after summer

Beginnings

It's September 2025. I’m back at the library. I found a seat at the front overlooking the square. It’s a warm Saturday afternoon; a handful of people are working nearby. But it’s the tree outside the window that gets all my attention. Its leaves are still green, but from this close, I catch the browning edges. We’re at the cusp of autumn.

The whiteness of the desk spreads all around me. The cursor blinks on the blank page. It’s time to start again.

Why autumn?

The English word autumn was first used in the Middle Ages. The poet Geoffrey Chaucer used it in a translation, borrowing from Latin and French. Before that, the old English used hærfest – still alive in Dutch as herfst – a word tied to the season and the harvest itself.

Across the Atlantic, the American fall (short for ‘fall of the leaves’) has survived and thrived in the 'New World' since the 1600s, whilst other languages offer their poetical variations: the Greek phthinoporon (‘waning of summer’) or the Lithuanian ruduo (‘changing colour of the leaves’).

 A season of transition

Names may differ, but they all describe the same thing: a season of blatant transition in its most excruciating beauty.

The world as we knew it in summer is coming to an end. The vibrant and zesty green of summer surrenders to all kinds of brown and red hues. Crisp leaves gather at our front doors and pavements. The sun lingers behind heavy clouds. Raincoats and umbrellas make their timely comeback. School is back in session, and the first bout of flu is in the air.

It’s a season of endings and beginnings. As nature starts her yearly decline, we are invited to follow her rhythm. We, too, have the chance to follow our Persephone towards the land of the dead, or, less grimly put, we are given permission to go within, reflect, and prepare for renewal.  

Back to writing

For me, this autumn marks a return. After two difficult years, it is time to step back into the world of words and ideas. This time, I want the seasons themselves to help shape my writings.

Think of this as an invitation: over the upcoming months, I will explore autumnal themes such as harvest and abundance, transition and reflection, rain and melancholy, cosiness, the mystery, and the supernatural. We’ll wander through history, literature, places, and people. Some journeys will be serious, others playful. All will be inspired by the falling leaves.

Welcome to the season. Autumn is just beginning. Stay tuned. 🍂