A BRIEF HISTORY OF…
I am a Brighton boy, now living in South-east London, who grew up in a newsagency, surrounded by magazines and newspapers (and lots of chocolates). After a brief affair with the legal profession, I decided to follow my heart and pursue my interest in writing. Journalism seemed like a good place to start.
It was a path to self-discovery more than a career choice. Who am I? What is my point of view on the world? Why are arts and culture so important to me? Finding my voice is an ongoing process but that's what makes writing so rewarding.
My words have appeared in publications and on platforms including Positive News, The Quietus, Broccoli Productions, Lexus, O2, GUAP and Straight No Chaser. I take a very flexible approach to my craft, moving between long-form features, copywriting, scripting and creative writing. More about that here.
There have been many inspirations along the way: Jack Kerouac, Hunter S Thompson and the New Journalism, James Baldwin, Gil Scott Heron, Greg Tate. More recently, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Ocean Vuong and Hanif Abdurraqib. If there's one common trait among these names that I aspire to, it's the ability to move the reader with emotion and insight.
And through more experiments with fiction, to imagine a new world built with words. With so much conflict and uncertainty around us, and with difference too often perceived as threatening rather than enriching in society, it is up to the writer to make meaning and restore harmony one line at a time. This is when we go to work.