When it comes to supporting other writers, my aim is to help them find and develop their own voice. I don’t want to tell people “what” they should write – instead I hope to support students to be able to communicate what they are passionate about, and what they want to put out into the world.
My current focus is writing for children. My middle-grade series The Late Crew is about young carers meeting aliens, and I visit carers charities and primary schools and run workshops around the books. The first book won Best Independently Published Young Reader at the the Children’s Literature Festivals in 2023, and the second book is coming out in Summer 2024. You can find the full story of the series here!
Prior to that my Young Adult novel Landfill Mountains came out in 2021, and was written for teenagers, exploring themes around storytelling magic and environmental damage.
Writing for young people is a fascinating task, and is something I think all writers should challenge themselves to do at least once – even if only to hide the story away in a drawer when it’s done! It forces you to consider your audience as you write, bringing a new perspective to each language choice.
Of course, writing for young people means I need to read young people and children’s fiction as well. I was part of the Big Kids Book Club podcast, all about reading Middle-Grade and Young Adult fiction, and sharing great examples of children’s literature.
I also write for adults, and have short fiction and poetry published in various magazines and journals. I’m sneakily working away on a poetry collection at present! I’ve written articles for various outlets as well, such as Readers Digest, The Booktrust, Inside Times, and the Climate Fiction Writers League. While my more recent focus is children’s fiction, I’m comfortable supporting students creating work for adults as well. I’ll bring that same perspective to my support – of encouraging thought and reflection on the audience of the piece, and how we connect with them through writing.
Supporting children to access reading is important to me. When not writing, or tutoring for the OCA, I work for a charity called the National Literacy Trust, working on projects to encourage children to enjoy reading.
I have also spent time performing as a storyteller, working with young people and adults, everywhere from theatres, to pubs, to railway museums!
