Available for
Workshop, Talk, Interview, Commission a bookAudiences
Age 5 to 7, Age 7 to 11Genres
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Fiction, History, Mystery, Picture book, Science fiction, Stage/ScreenBook types
Alphabet, Fiction for adults, Fiction for children, Fiction 4-11, Fiction 5-9, Fiction 8-13, Non-fiction for adults, Non-fiction for children, Picture book, War/HistoricalOrganisations
Details
I worked in the features department on the original Queen Magazine before branching out as a freelance journalist, contributing mainly to the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs and Radio Times. I started writing children's books when my children were small and we lived on a tea estate in South India. One of my books An Elephant for Muthu is set in an elephant camp we used to visit.
I have had 30 books - fiction and non-fiction - published for children of varying ages, and for reading schemes both here and for Harcourt in America.
I love anything to do with theatre, my book Shakespeare, Theatre Cat is set at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford where I used to work. The picture of the harassed press officer in the muddly office who can 't find her phone until it rings is me! I have also worked in a theatre school and looked after the late and great Emlyn Williams' publicity for his last London appearance.
Seeing my own words come alive on stage was a wonderful experience for me in 2015. I adapted my book The Sea Child into a play and it was performed by the Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre at the Edinburgh Festival, 2015, and also at the Mill Theatre, Guildford. I have two musicals for children just waiting for a tryout!
For a number of years I have done school visits, combining talks with a workshop, sometimes based on one of my picture books Carter is a Painter's Cat. The children make up and illustrate a new adventure for Carter, whose life is governed by an eccentric artist who paints him afresh each day... I like to to work with small groups, aged up to 10 and currently only at schools/libraries in the Guildford area.