About me

Writer

I have been publishing books and articles since the 1990s.

Researcher

I have always used research to inform my writing and teaching, but since becoming an academic I have conducted more formal research, which has been ethically approved by my institution.

Teacher

I am a teacher, having taught in London schools from 1991-2015, and then at Goldsmiths university 2015-present, where I completed my PhD thesis in Creative Writing and Education. After that, I was course leader for Goldsmiths’ PGCE English course (2015-2022) and Head of MA Creative Writing and Education (2016 to present). In 2022, I was appointed Academic Co-Director of Goldsmiths’ Connected Curriculum.

Writer

I have published many books, including I’m A Teacher, Get Me Out of Here (2004), Working The System — How To Get The Very Best State Education For Your Child (2009) and three novels, The Last Day Of Term (Short Books/Blue Door Press 2011), Who Do You Love (Blue Door Press 2017) and Snow on the Danube (Blue Door Press 2019). I have also published a number of very successful study guides, including my bestselling Analysis and Study Guide: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (2013).

Media

I am often invited onto TV and radio shows to defend what I would term creative, caring approaches to education.

I have written extensively for the national press, and appeared as a commentator on all the major TV channels and radio stations. You can view a recent appearance on TV here (August 2024).

Education

I was educated at Sussex University, Cambridge University and completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University Of East Anglia, studying under Malcolm Bradbury and Rose Tremain (1991). I have a Diploma in Journalism from the London College of Printing (1998), a PhD in Creative Writing and Education (2015), and Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (2018).