
I love reading and writing and I love thinking about reading and writing. These enthusiasms have led to a career of over twenty years in both secondary school English teaching and educational resource writing. My freelance work has led to my writing for the National Strategies, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the National Literacy Trust and for the publishing houses Hodder Education, Harper Collins and Balberry Publishing (York Notes). I worked in local authority consultancy in East London for four years and in initial teacher training for Teach First for three years.
After school I studied English Language and Literature at Oxford University and went on to complete a Masters at King’s College London in English and Education. For my MA dissertation, I wrote about the personal and creative writing practices of children and adolescents. I have always written creatively, particularly poetry and – more recently – children’s fiction. I am interested in the role played by personal and creative writing in the lives, identities and wellbeing of people from all walks of life and of all ages.
I am a member of the National Association of Writers in English and of the Society of Authors. I live in south-east London.