Welcome

I'm a writer, teacher of writing, and former current affairs journalist. I write, and love, thought-provoking, intelligent and compassionate books about the big political and spiritual questions. You can read about the craft of writing novels on my blog and find a few essays about some personal passions.

If you're looking for a professional reader and help with your work, try using the contact link.

I'm excited to be sharing two new novels in 2023.

My debut novel, They Are Trying To Break Your Heart, was published by Bloomsbury in April 2016, chosen as a Netgalley book of the month, reviewed as 'masterful', (TLS), 'searing' (Los Angeles Times), 'shocking' (Publisher's Weekly) and 'compassionate' (Kirkus Reviews). It was one of ten books longlisted for The Desmond Elliott Prize, the UK's biggest prize for debut fiction.

In 2017, They Are Trying To Break Your Heart won the English Language debut novel prize in international competition at Le Festival Premier Roman, France.

I teach Creative Writing at The University of Salford, Manchester where I am Programme Leader for English and Creative Writing, and where I founded the world's first Creative Writing Multidiscipline degree to educate students in narrative for the creative industries. I am the proud founder and creator of the St Mary's First Novel MA, where I taught with authors Christie Watson and Jonathan Gibbs, helping over a dozen debut novelists into publication in its first few years alone. I have written for The New Statesman, Fiction Writers Review and Writer's&Artist's Online. In an eight year career as a documentary producer with the BBC, I worked across news and current affairs, making films for primetime on BBC One, Two, Three and Four.