PROFILE
I am a 46-year-old writer, tutor and secondary school teacher. I write humorous narrative non-fiction books, blog entries and feature articles. Gillian is my beautiful and supportive wife, and Bethany (15) and Christian (12) complete my happy family.
My literary agent is the lovely Susan Smith at:
MBA Literary Agents Ltd
62 Grafton Way,
London
W1T 5DW
tel (+44) (0) 20 7387 2076
fax (+44) (0) 20 7387 2042
www.mbalit.co.uk
In 2006 I took the dramatic step of giving up my sixteen year corporate career as an IT manager in the City to spend a 'gap year' with my family and pursue my writing career. That one year became four as my wife turned me into a fully fledged househusband. I found it to be one of the most rewarding periods of my life, and I wrote about the experience in my blog Desperate Househusband, as well as completing a book of the same name (publishers wishing to read the MS should contact my agent).
During that time, when I wasn't tapping out my books, making tea for the kids, or fetching my (teacher) wife a well earned cup of tea after a long day at school, I tutored community classes on Creative Writing and Current Affairs for North Hertfordshire College.
Inspired by the learners on my courses, and with Bethany and Christian both in secondary education, I decided to hang up my househusband apron and enrol on a full time, in-school, graduate teacher training programme. In September 2010 I began teaching ICT - that's computers for the accronymically challenged like me - to 11 to 18-year-olds. My new daily routine may be teenager-tastic and extremely hard work, but I love every minute of it!
As for my writing. See here for examples of my published articles. Additionally, for over a year, I had a weekly guest slot on BBC Three Counties radio called Writers' Block - educating and inspiring budding authors - which I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm also on the committee of the Verulam Writers' Circle in St Albans, for which I am editor of their quality newsletter Veracity and one of the organisers of their hugely successful annual Get Writing Conference.
I'm an avid fan of the Hay Festival of Literature and the Swanwick Writers' Summer School. I also support several local literary initiatives and events each year.
Oh yes. I also have a Ph.D. in Cosmic Ray Physics from the University of Nottingham. Just don't ask me why!