Author Biography

I have always been interested in history, even as a very young boy I was surrounded by history books. The past is another country, and they do things differently there – but to me it always seemed more exciting than the present day – and perhaps more meaningful. This question of what history ‘means’ has always fascinated me, as well as mythology, folklore and theology. I began writing when I was young too, and was first published in my school magazine (a very long time ago!) but it was only about fifteen years ago that I seriously thought about becoming a published author.

I began by trying to emulate various authors who I had read as a child, with the subject matter being fictionalised history. I had no real expertise, and my first attempts were too amateur to submit to professional publishers. Instead I self-published them, and gradually I became competent enough, and confident enough to approach publishers with ideas. After many years, and many rejections, to my surprise I got my first publishing contract with Amberley Books of Stroud in 2015. I am working on my fifth book for them now, and I have several literary projects in the pipeline. I am looking to broaden the range of my writing now, to encompass more personal reflection, incorporating other themes than just historical ones. I have a long-standing interest in Adult & Community Education, especially the University of the Third Age (U3A). If you would like me to give a talk, either about creative writing for publication, or a historical theme of your choice, please go to the ‘contact me’ page.