With a wide variety of experience in software development, publishing, academia, project management, fundraising, writing workshop facilitation, and writing itself, I have a unique range of skills. I try to use those skills to push the boundaries of what’s possible, to make exciting things happen for as many people as I can, to work to the highest standard, to enjoy everything I do and to inspire others to do the same.
To find out more about me, my experience and my writing, please do get in touch.
Key Skills
- Writing: I have published poems, essays, short stories and graphic fiction in anthologies, magazines, books, and on a poetry trading card.
- Teaching: I have lectured at the University of Nottingham and led courses for Writing School East Midlands. I have experience in facilitating poetry and fiction writing workshops for all ages in a wide range of settings.
- Communication: I have excellent written and oral communication skills, and am able to communicate effectively with people at all organisational levels and from all walks of life.
- Online events: I have run dozens of online events and several hybrid events for Five Leaves Bookshop since March 2020, and have become an expert user of Zoom. I also edit the recordings for publication on the Five Leaves YouTube channel using Adobe Premiere.
- In-person events: I have organised, managed and hosted in-person events for Five Leaves Bookshop, Nottingham Writers’ Studio, First Story, and others.
- eBook design: I have been designing and creating ebooks for publishers and authors since 2011. I teach workshops on ebook creation and have been invited to talk at festivals and conferences about ebooks and their production.
- Proofreading/copy editing: Publishing Training Centre qualified proofreader, and experienced copy editor.
- Social media: I use Facebook, Twitter and WordPress for blogging and marketing.
- Typesetting: Expert user of QuarkXPress with over 20 years experience in typesetting books, magazines and brochures.
- Graphic design: Intermediate user of Adobe Photoshop, designed posters, programmes, book covers, flyers, etc.
- Website design: Wide experience of website design and implementation.
- Microsoft Office: Expert user of Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint and Access.
- Other IT software: Experience of CRM and content management systems.
- Research: Trained researcher, with several published papers.
- Project management: Extensive project management experience in several contexts (IT and creative industries, large and small-scale projects).
Publications
Poetry:
Featured poet alongside Tuesday Shannon and Elizabeth Hourston in Take Three: Soundswrite Press New Poets vol. 1 (Soundswrite Press, 2019)
Poems in magazines such as Ink, Sweat and Tears, The Interpreter’s House, Brittle Star, Antiphon, Glitterwolf, Obsessed with Pipework, and Hearing Voices.
Graphic fiction:
“Truth be Told” – in To End All Wars (ed. Jonathan Clode & John Stuart Clark, Soaring Penguin Press, 2015) (commission)
Creative non-fiction:
“But Me No Buts” – in The Polar Tombola: A Book of Banished Words (ed. Nancy Campbell, Bird Editions, 2017) (commission)
“Let The Blood Run”, in Our Encounters with Self-Harm (ed. C. Baker et al, PCCS Books, 2013)
“Keep it in the Family”, in Utopia (ed. Ross Bradshaw, Five Leaves, 2012)
“Australia”, in Solume Solutions to Love and Trust (ed. A. Reynolds, Sluuce LLC, 2012) (commission)
Short fiction:
Publications in the Nottingham Writers’ Studio series of journals (2013–2014) and the University of Nottingham Creative and Professional Writing student anthologies (2009–2012)
Digital fiction:
“A Princess Honeymoons in Our Town” (non-linear multimedia narrative), 2015, Mixed Reality Lab, University of Nottingham (commission)
Papers:
“Professionalising Writers”, with Niki Valentine, published in Writing in Education, 2013, 59
Readings
I have been invited to give readings of my work at many events and festivals, including Nottingham Poetry Festival, Open Doors (Nottingham), States of Independence (Leicester), Lowdham Book Festival, Southwell Poetry Festival, Nottingham Poetry Society, Jazz and Poetry (Nottingham), Nottingham Poetry Series, Nottingham Festival of Words, Nottingham Writers’ Studio (Nottingham and London) and Five Leaves Bookshop (Nottingham); and in Nottingham, Karlsruhe and Budapest as part of the Dovetail project.
Writing workshops/residencies
I have delivered many writing workshops in a wide range of settings to a variety of audiences. In 2011 I gained the Level 3 PTLLS (now Award in Education and Training) qualification in preparation for teaching and I have continually developed my skills since then through active research, responding to feedback from workshops I have delivered, and shadowing more experienced writers.
Examples of workshops I have developed and delivered, and projects I have been involved in:
Beyond the Spectrum: a programme of online writing workshops for autistic writers of all ages run by Writing East Midlands. I have been a lead writer for the programme since it started in January 2021, and have managed and run an online celebration event for all participants (July 2021), created two anthologies of participants’ work (July 2021), and I am also involved in evaluation of the project in partnership with Nottingham Trent University.
Dovetail: an EU-funded project which I initiated and managed, involving adult learners with communication difficulties from Nottingham, Karlsruhe and Budapest. Dovetail ran for two years, and I delivered writing workshops inspired by local history and visitor attractions to Nottingham participants and at joint meetings in all three cities. I produced three anthologies of participants’ work.
Open Doors: an organisation set up by Cathy Grindrod, Rosie Reed and Jeremy Duffield to support wellbeing of prisoners through therapeutic creative writing. I delivered two series of workshops to prisoners at HMP Sudbury and HMP Foston. Many of the prisoners had mental health issues and/or communication difficulties. One prisoner, a traveller, was so inspired by the workshops that he took adult literacy courses so he could write a children’s book about the travelling life.
Behind the Scenes at the Museum: creative writing for Year 8 reluctant learners at Springwell Community College, with Mark Gwynne Jones. This involved delivering a course of writing classes, encouraging the children to write fiction and poetry inspired by their lives and a trip to Chesterfield Museum, resulting in a printed anthology of their work. The children went on to form a lunchtime club to continue their writing practice.
Rooms of Stories: a series of writing sessions with groups of primary school children, working with them to write and illustrate stories based on the Rooms of Dreams exhibition at the Harley Gallery.
The Trentside Holmes: working with a local history group from Sutton-on-Trent to develop and produce an anthology of writing and articles about their village and its history. I ran workshops to help them write creative and original pieces, and designed and produced the anthology.
Creative essay writing workshops for Art History UG/PG students (University of Nottingham) – teaching students how to break from the dry academic style and express their opinions creatively and effectively using a range of writing techniques.
Education/mentoring
BA (Hons, First Class) Creative and Professional Writing, University of Nottingham, 2013
Selected for Writing East Midlands’ mentoring scheme, 2015-16
MA (Distinction) Creative Writing, University of Nottingham, 2020
Writing-related job roles
Regional Programme Manager (East Midlands), First Story (Apr 2021-present)
I manage First Story’s programmes in the East Midlands region, working with writers, schools and partner organisations to implement our Young Writers Programmes in secondary schools across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. I am also responsible for planning and delivering our writer development and training programme across the whole organisation.
Project Manager, Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature (Nov 2014-Dec 2015)
In 2014 I generated interest in and helped set up the project for Nottingham to apply for UNESCO Creative City designation. From Nov 2014 I was employed by the newly-created Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature Board of Directors. I managed the work of paid staff and volunteers, liaised with other Cities of Literature and UNESCO UK, and oversaw the writing and worked on the final revision of the bid, submitted in July 2015. In December 2015 Nottingham was awarded City of Literature status.
Development Director, Nottingham Writers’ Studio (Jun 2014-May 2017)
NWS is a members’ organisation for professional writers in the region. I was responsible for day-to-day administration, events management and fundraising. I successfully bid for funding from Arts Council England to extend the services offered and to run an international strand for the 2015 Nottingham Festival of Words, set up and managed a programme of workshops, initiated a social media strategy and website overhaul, and oversaw NWS’s move to new premises.
Lecturer, University of Nottingham (Oct 2011-Jun 2014)
I taught on the Creative and Professional Writing and Humanities BA degree courses in the School of Education, presenting lectures, giving tutorials and marking assignments. I also mentored final year projects and was a personal tutor for CPW students.
Freelance Professional, self-employed (Feb 2011-present)
This portfolio career builds on my wide range of skills. I facilitate writing workshops in a range of settings. I set up, obtained funding for, and managed the Dovetail project – an EU-funded creative writing project for adult learners in Nottingham, Karlsruhe and Budapest. I proofread and edit PhD theses, fiction/non-fiction books and poetry collections. I typeset print books and produce ebooks, and I teach ebook production. I develop websites for writers and small organisations, provide one-to-one coaching on IT and social media skills for writers, and advise on funding applications.
Publisher, Five Leaves Publications (Aug 2010-present)
I participate in all areas of the publishing process, including commissioning material, editing, typesetting and design, ebook production, proofreading, cover design and marketing. I run publicity campaigns for book releases and other events for promoting Five Leaves’ books and authors. I also work in the bookshop, which opened in Nottingham city centre in 2013.
Prior to 2008
I was a computer science post-doctoral researcher between 1990 and 1995, investigating computer-supported cooperative work and group communication. In 1995 I moved to CCN (later Experian) as a software developer, and by the time I left in 2008 I was a software development manager, in charge of a team of around 20 developers working on several major desktop and web products.