For Your Consideration: Brilliance in Blogging Awards 2015

Nominations are open for one of the most prestigious blogging prizes – the Brilliance in Blogging Awards (or BiBs, for short).

Organised by BritMums, a major parenting blogging network, the awards celebrate the best bloggers in 12 categories.

Asking to be nominated feels a little awkward. A year ago today, I was in a very different place – physically and emotionally. I had never heard of BritMums, or the BiBs. I dearly wish that I was not sitting here today typing this, and that you, dear readers, had never heard of me or of Hugo.

But you have heard of me and of Hugo. That is because Hugo died. I took to my blog to express my grief, and to raise awareness of HELLP syndrome, the rare pregnancy illness that nearly took my life and was the cause of Hugo’s very premature birth. I set up Hugo’s Legacy (#HugosLegacy on Twitter), to raise awareness of HELLP, birth trauma, premature babies, baby loss, and improved support for those experiencing these things.

The things that Hugo’s Legacy has achieved in less than a year (I wrote my first Hugo-related post at the end of April 2014) have exceeded my wildest expectations. Readers have got in touch to say they now feel better able to be sensitive towards those who have lost a baby (or suffered a bereavement in general); more people have now heard of HELLP syndrome, and know what the symptoms of that illness and its close relation pre-eclampsia are; health care professionals have said they have reflected on and changed their practise as a result of reading my posts.

There are so many wonderful blogs and bloggers out there, making choosing who to nominate a challenge (I’m having trouble narrowing down my choices!) I hope you will consider nominating my blog – I’m not in it for the plaudits, but being nominated for a BiB would be another achievement for Hugo’s Legacy. Plus, I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t be incredibly chuffed and proud.

Nominations are made via this form.

There are two categories you could consider nominating me for.

The first is Inspire – “The content, the voice, the infectious enthusiasm of these bloggers encourages everyone around them. They are seen as leaders in their field and their inspiration is felt through the community.” My blog seeks to inspire change, and my readers have told me I am inspiring (which is very kind indeed).

The nomination form asks for a sample post. Some posts you may like to consider include When #HugosLegacy Trended; HELLP Raise Awareness; Five Reasons Why ALL Preemies are Completely Inspiring; Creating Precious Memories: Baby Bereavement Photography; An Open Letter to the Neonatal Unit Staff Who Cared for Hugo; Start a Conversation About Baby Loss.

The other category is Writer – “Most blogs have writing at their core. But some blogs feature writing that makes it hard to stop laughing and reading. Whether a blog reads like a compelling bestseller or gorgeous poetry, this award celebrates the words on the page.” Due to the challenging subject matter of many of my posts I am sometimes surprised that people do read them, and find beauty in my writing.

Again, the form asks for a sample post. My writing is diverse, including poetry and prose, as well as awareness-raising articles. Some posts for your consideration include: For the Babies Who Didn’t Make It Home; The Option for Compassionate End-of-Life Care; Giving My 18 Year Old Self A Good Talking To; Do Good Things Come to Those Who Wait?; A World Gone Up in Smoke; The Letter from the War that Shattered the Peace.

A couple of other bits of information the form asks for are the nominee’s Twitter handle (@leighakendall) and email address: headspace-perspective@outlook.com.

Nominations are open until midnight on April 12, 2015. Ten from each category are then chosen for the shortlist, announced on April 28. The community then votes for their favourites; the finalists are then revealed, and the winners revealed at the ceremony on June 19.

Thank you for all your support for everything during the past year.