My writing

Final Approach – launched and landed

Many thanks to Studio 1:1 for my competition win, which coincided perfectly as a venue for the exhibition and launch event for my new book Final Approach.

Thanks to everyone who made it there…now the launch roadshow (or should that be runway?) moves to Somerset…

The Literacy Consultancy – showcase author!

Thank you to The Literary Consultancy for making me the November Showcase author.

If you’re on the TLC mailing list, do check it out.

Final Approach: My Father and Other Turbulence

My new book Final Approach has launched! Half memoir, half travelogue – wrapped in an ode to planespotting, it was published in November 2023 with Claret Press, and is available to order on my website here.

Here’s a short extract:

RAF Wildenrath, IATA Code WID
I can hardly credit it now, but in a shed at the end of the playing fields there was a DIY glider. It was like an enormous Airfix kit that the whole Air Force corps would unite to assemble. Its only saving grace was that it wasn’t made of balsawood. There was one main two-dimensional fuselage piece, and all the other bits, wings and all, were bolted on to this. Safety clips on each bolt were supposed to ensure they didn’t fall out. ‘Supposed to’, bearing in mind a random selection of teenage boys was inserting the pins. There was an elementary seat fastened to the front of the structure for the pilot, leaving him exposed to the elements and more significantly any frontal impact. Think Kate Winslet on the bow of the Titanic, only in blue serge and wearing a beret.

Friends On The Shelf

So pleased to see my Bowie piece ‘Ashes to Ashes’ has found a home in print! Thank you Friends On The Shelf. Thanks too for putting my mug on the front cover amongst such illustrious company.

Street Life – an anthology of stories in aid of Emmaus Cornwall

Really pleased that my short story The Wall has found a home in print, and it couldn’t be a better one.

It’s included in Street Life, an anthology to raise funds for Emmaus Cornwall, a charity which strives to open a local community for the homeless.

All proceeds from the book will go to the charity, so please do buy a copy. You can do so through Blue Poppy Publishing or the anthology is now available on Amazon.

I’m sure it will be a great read too – there’s work from many brilliant authors!

Take-off for Brian the Flying Bear!

My second Brian book was published in July. It’s all about a bear and his holiday adventure, and it’s available to order both at my local stockists and here, on my website here.

Literature Works South West

Thanks to Literature Works South West, I’ve been selected as just one of eight ‘emerging writers’ to take part in their year-long mentoring and development programme.

I’ve learnt this week that my mentor will be the writer Tiffany Murray, author of three novels and with a memoir due out next year. I’ll be working on my burgeoning novel Can We Talk? with her; here’s a short extract:

“No sooner had I safely installed myself back behind my desk, sports pages spread open beneath the attempt at Coronation Chicken, than the phone rang. From the tone it was the direct line and from the display it was my mother. I tried to persuade her to use my mobile but she told me she could never hear me on it.

But it wasn’t my mother, it was Frances, the lodger. Frances had lived in the village, babysat for us all and somehow ended up moving in when her husband died. It was a mutually convenient arrangement. But her calling me was unusual. She sounded edgy, but got straight to the point.

Your mother’s had an accident. She’s in Heatherwood; don’t worry, she’s not seriously hurt. But the people in the other car were killed.”

Hothouse Novel Writing Weekend

I recently attended this short course with the amazing Costa Prize-winning author Andrew Miller – well, part of it – I’m afraid my health didn’t hold up for the whole thing. It was such a shame as I therefore missed the chance to take part in a public reading with him on the Saturday night.

However, prior to that I did manage to have a workshop session on the novel I’m reviving and was very encouraged that Andrew liked it a lot, saying it had ‘positive forward energy’. That’s very gratifying coming from him, as I love his writing – we have three of his volumes on our bookshelves, two of which I’ve read!

Here’s an extract from the workshop session, and now my next work-in-progress:

Usually when I entered the main office for the Monday morning meeting there was a low murmur, a deconstruction of the weekend’s football and some sleazy gossip, but today absolute silence. The sun bled into the room, catching all in a freeze frame of frightened anticipation. Nearly everyone who could have or should have been at this edition of the weekly briefing was, meaning at least twenty staff doing their best to social distance within the room, taking every available chair and table corner. I’d offered to do the thing by Zoom, but only a few had taken up that option. Even if they suspected a rough ride, it was not an episode to be missed.

Clover & Bee Magazine (Issue 5)

So lovely to be back in Clover & Bee Magazine – Issue 5, just ten writers and artists.

It’s a really beautiful creation this time around – it always is, but this edition feels as if it has a special wistful but still hopeful tenor to it.

I am very proud of the piece I submitted, I have to say, and I think it’s found its spiritual home.

Wonderful to be included amongst such talented creators; thank you Clover & Bee.

You can buy the issue here: https://www.cloverandbeemagazine.com/

Podcast with The Literary Consultancy

The highly respected The Literary Consultancy recently put out a call for authors to join their Writers’ Round Table podcast to talk about their writing experience and practice, and rather terrifyingly they chose me. But it was a thrill talking to fellow writers Sally-Anne Lomas and Barry Norton, as well as our brilliant compère Nelima Begum from TLC.

I think we were a little shocked at the depths we reached and the distance we travelled in just one hour.

The podcast was released on 20th of November and if you’re a TLC Being A Writer member, you can access it via their website now: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk

Quay Voices Volume II

Quay Words in Exeter have launched their second anthology Quay Voices Volume II and I was thrilled to have a poem included. The Naked Mole Rat (yes, really!) was selected by Naomi Westerman and I really enjoyed attending the launch event at Exeter Custom House earlier in September.

You can buy a copy here: https://quaywords.org.uk/quay-voices-2-anthology/

Fresh Fiction

Last month I submitted two of my stories for Fresh Fiction, a new spoken word event at a lovely local venue, The David Hall at South Petherton. To my delight, they were both chosen. I thoroughly enjoyed the occasion – it was great to read my work to the paying public and meet other local writers too.

This month’s Fresh Fiction evening is on Sunday 23rd October – not sure if I’ll be involved, but I thoroughly recommend the event whether I’m reading or not!

The Pen Factor Live Pitch Awards

I have just learned that at the @theliteraryconsultancy Pen Factor Live Pitch Awards, my full-length work-in-progress Final Approach was shortlisted!

This is a highly respected industry event and a real fillip for the book and will surely help it to find a publisher.

The Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition

I was shortlisted for the Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition. The Awards Ceremony took place at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, where my short story, The Wall was read by the very talented actor Adam Brody who really brought it to life.

Dame Margaret Drabble loved my story and chose it as runner-up and afterwards I was honored to meet her.

Clover & Bee Magazine

Clover & Bee have just published the third issue of their magazine and included a piece of my non-fiction, namely an extract from my Coronaviral journal.