ABOUT ME

I’ve always had an affinity for weirdos and strange things. My TV obsessions were Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, and The Ricki Lake Show.  Books, however, were my main mode of escape. I had a bumpy upbringing. Noisy, busy, stressful but never boring. My brother was an armed robber who wasn’t very good at his job. My sisters were cool and encouraging, often having parties while my mum was out. If I needed to be alone, I headed up to the library. The library was always my calm place. I read obsessively. I still do. Soon enough, I knew I wanted to be a writer. Hard work, I know, but other things I learned along the way. Writing isn’t an art, it’s a craft. You get better at it the more you do it. I wanted to be like all my writing heroes which meant working hard and writing harder. I also try to embody everything that appealed to me. Zany, weird, silly, surreal, and ridiculous. That’s my bag and I can’t let it go.

My first novel for adults is Happiness Is Wasted On Me. It takes place in Scotland’s infamous ‘ugly’ town Cumbernauld, my home town. Set in the ’90s, it spans a decade in the life of asexual Walter Wedgeworth, who is trying to find his place in the world. But a dark discovery and his uniquely dysfunctional family won’t make things easy. With a backdrop of grunge, Britpop, New Labour, and The Spice Girls, this is a book very much of a time that no longer exists.

My second novel is Sadie, Call The Polis and according to Alastair Mabbott at The Herald, it’s a deeply affecting novel. Hurrah! It tells the life story of Sadie Relish, from Falkirk, whose family thwarts her every move, but not as much as she thwarts herself.

In February 2023, my short play The Lady In Rid was performed by Short Attention Span Theatre in Ayr and Glasgow. People laughed and clapped, so it had to be good, right? I’ve also recently appeared at the Paisley Book Festival and other literary events.

I’m currently at work on my next novel. It’s getting there.