My father died when I was five, and I grew up in Surrey with my mother and two elder brothers. I attended Sidcot, a Quaker boarding school in Somerset, and have lived most of my adult life in East Anglia. I trained as a teacher and had the opportunity to work in a prison. Thanks to a couple of fellowships I was able to see how other countries dealt with the education of prisoners, to write about it and to gain two MAs.

Because: I enjoy finding the spark which becomes the raison d’etre and core of a book. I like researching for a purpose. I love the process of composing text.

Despite actually putting mouse to keyboard for hours at a time, my answer must include things like arranging interviews and giving talks. I confess that I am often disorganised. At times, unravelling the secretarial side of things means I have to seek help from my husband. He’s brilliant.

Places are often my starting point. I really enjoy living in Suffolk but work has taken me to the Hebrides, the Fens, Poland, and Ukraine and more. Over the years I have completed four novels, three biographies, a few non-fiction books, and three collections of poetry.

Good luck with your reading and with your writing!

Scenes from a Pageant

From a gold mine to the Cotswolds
from Santa Fe to the Lyceum Club
from disability to success
from force feeding to friendship
from performances and exhibitions
to the silence of Quakers
from Birmingham to processions
from theatres to strangers
to generations of families
wherever we are

My email address is on the Contact Me page. Please feel free to write. I’d like to hear from you.