News
2021
Aug
Writer - Opening Ceremony Commonwealth Games 2022
Have had to keep this a secret since March!
May
Longlisted – Mslexia Children’s and Young Adult Novel Competition with ‘A Heart Full of Stars’
2019
December
Wuhan – Yes, I was in Wuhan at the start of the outbreak! Flight cancelled. Everything locked down. Eventually evacuated. Flown to Brize Norton then driven to The Wirral - (coach #4). There’s a story in all of this…
November
Playing it Safe podcast is out. Commissioned monologue for Women and Theatre's Prime Time..
“Women & Theatre’s Prime Time series features dramatic monologues about women of retirement age. Developed from research conversations, they reflect the language and lives of ordinary people and put women’s stories, writing and performance centre-stage.”
October
Rehearsals have started for Prime Time. This is going to be good. It was so weird walking to work, passing the Birmingham Rep and seeing my name on this poster. I didn't even know it was up.
September
Down to London for the launch of the TLC Free Reads Anthology. I am one of the 20 authors published in the anthology. It’s was a really chilled evening, and great to meet some of the other authors. PLUS - one of the agents wants the full manuscript. Fingers crossed!
The anthology has been sponsored by AM Heath as part of the agency’s centenary celebrations.
Twenty writers were selected from 118 submissions received by TLC for inclusion in the anthology, with chosen entries including a YA crime following the drowning of a man on a Yorkshire council estate, a literary reimagining of Boko Haram abductions set in a fictional African country, poetic reflections on climate change, and a middle grade adventure about magic and loss. It has been guest edited by acclaimed Grenadian novelist Jacob Ross and features cover artwork by Hong Dam, a Vietnamese visual artist.
The event was also featured in The Bookseller and in Book Brunch (subscription only).
Have finally finished my monologue for Prime Time. A good learning experience and the chance to work with a really friendly and supportive team. Amazing how something that is quite short, can take so long to get right.
May-July
In Shanghai, China. I'm there to teach and it's lovely to be back, but very little time for writing. Can only manage to work on the monologue, no time to look at, never mind work on the novel.
March
Selected as one of 20 authors whose work will appear in the first ever TLC Free Reads Anthology
February
Update: Commission confirmed. Working with Women and Theatre and the Birmingham Rep on Prime Time – a series of monologues about women.
Arvon retreat to work on my novel, Four Storeys. I would not have been able to do this without the aid of an Arts Council grant, and I am enormously grateful for the writing time this grant provides.
2018
November
I may have my first writing commission for theatre (subject to funding). Watch this space. How exciting and a little bit scary!
White Gold, staged reading. The Mac, Birmingham. Nov 18.
October
Longlisted: Theatre 503 with The Jackanooni.
August
Longlisted: Papatango Theatre Award with The Jackanooni
June
Launch of Midnight Listening - including an extract of work produced as part of the Arvon/Jerwood Fellowship.
April
Awarded Arts Council funding to work on a play and a novel!
2017
September
Selected for Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s Write Away programme.
The Big Think part of the Human Values Foundation
Four stories for use in primary schools around the country.
Update:
My WriteNow journey stops here. Got so close… down to the telephone interview! Huge congratulations to those who were selected.
February
Selected as Jerwood/Arvon mentee for playwriting 2017/18. My mentor is Tim Crouch! Am super excited and really nervous at the same time.
January
Shortlisted for WriteNow 2016
2016
October
Winner: Creative Futures Literary Awards 2016
Longlisted: WriteNow 2016
2015
November
Selected as one of Cultureword’s Women in the Spotlight 2016