Born in London, now living in Scotland, I spent my working life as a hospital doctor, retiring in 2003.
In 2004, I awoke during the night with a ghost story in my head. I wrote it down and it was seriously bad. A month later another story emerged. It was better. Then another and another. I couldn’t stop them. Over 30 have been published, several winning short story competitions.
I follow no particular genre, but am often drawn to that space that lies between reality and fantasy. The space into and out of which children slip so easily in their play; the place of myths and legends and the magical realism of Latin American writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
My first children’s novel, Moon Rabbit, beautifully illustrated by Alma Dowle, takes a Scottish boy and a Chinese girl on a fantastical journey into Mythological China. It was a winner of the Writers’ & Artists’ 2007 Yearbook New Novel Competition and long-listed for the Waterstone’s 2008 Children’s Book Prize. Published November 1st 2009.
I have now written ten novels, two for adults, four for young adults and four for children.
My one act play, The Gap, inspired by being caught up in the Sichuan Eathquake of 2008, was shortlisted for The Rowan Tree Oncet Act Play Competition, 2009.
I belong to the Society of Authors, the Society of Medical Writers (SOMW), Society of Civil and Public Service Writers (SCPSW) and the Borders Writers’ Forum
I was awarded the SOMW Wilfred Hopkins Cup for creative writing in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, and SCPSW Writer of the Year Award, 2010.
I am happily married to a beautiful Chinese woman. We have two children and four granddaughters, all living abroad. Because of this, and my wife’s extensive family in China (we were caught up in the Sichuan earthquake of May 12th 2008), we travel widely. Experiences from abroad feature strongly in my writing.
My other passion is photography. I took a diploma course in photography after retiring, and belong to a local camera club and digital photography group. I’ve been awarded prizes in photographic competitions and my images have appeared in Amateur Photographer and on TV.
Work in progress:
Crime novel set in Song Dynasty China called ‘One Short of a Thousand Petals’. Doing background research has been a real eye opener, for so much of modern China was already there...nine hundred years ago.
With other Borders Writers’ Forum members, running a drama group to allow us to act out our own plays.
The Borders Writers' Forum is holding a writing competition on the theme of 'Illness and the Child' in aid of Edinburgh Sick Kids Foundation: http://www.edinburghsickkids.org/ Closing date 31st March 2012.
