I have a few different public identities, which this website embraces. Read more about my background and work in these areas.
On this site I publish new writing and research, but it also functions as an archive, providing easy access to articles published over the last 20 years, sometimes with annotations in cases where my views have changed since.
Books
My latest novel
Snow on the Danube
My novel “Snow on the Danube” is a historical adventure evoking Budapest during and between two great wars, recounted in the voice of a fussy hypochondriac who becomes an unlikely and compromised hero when the Fascists take over. An unlikely comedy, a document of filial love and a compelling portrait of the horrors of war
FGI publishing
I have also published my own books and other people’s under the imprint of FGI Publishing.
I have sold 40,000 copies of my books over the span of my self-publishing career (to June 2024). The vast bulk of these have been study guides I’ve written on classic novels such as The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and Jane Eyre.
Recent work
My recent output has involved helping my students and communities learn to be creative researchers:
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The British Library, research and creative writing
This blog post explores how creative writing can be used to help people engage with the British Library and its collection. It shows how students on the MA Creative Writing and Education led members of the general public through the British Library, inviting them to respond creatively to key elements of its archive and exhibitions.
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Inspiring Creative Writing and Learning: Multidisciplinary Approaches
How and why creative writing can be improved by a multidisciplinary approach including freewriting, drawing and art, writing letters to different audiences (even imaginary ones)
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Parklife Project: Students’ Creative Advocacy for Local Parks
This article explores the research primary school pupils carried out in order to improve their local park in east London. It shows how they produced creative outputs such as pictures, models and poems which enabled them to both research their local park and advocate for change.
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Four reasons we should all learn about Green Careers (+ some top job hunting tips!)
A recount of the Green Careers event that I co-ran (with Widening Participation, the Horniman Museum, and Lewisham’s Young People’s Climate Network) in May 2024 at Goldsmiths University.
Resources for teachers, educators and more
As a teacher and now as a teacher-educator and Head of the MA Creative Writing and Education at Goldsmiths, I have devised many recent resources for teachers, to help them teach the subject of English and creative writing. I also write fiction and reviews of books I like.
Where else to find me
My YouTube channel contains videos I’ve made for my students over the years. I’ve also run a number of topic- and book-specific educational blogs and websites as resources for students and teachers. Since 2015, I have focused upon publishing academic articles, many of which can be found on my Goldsmiths’ webpage.