About Me
I am a freelance writer who writes creative non-fiction and short stories.
Writing
I’m a freelance writer with an MA in Travel and Nature Writing with Distinction from Bath Spa University. My work has been published in print publications such as Reader’s Digest, Dalesman, Scottish Mountaineer, Pet Life and Dorset Magazine, and online for publications such as The Pilgrim, Persephone People, and the Landlines Project. I also contribute travel articles to motoring website Wheels Alive and manage the website news for the charity Neotropical Primate Conservation.
I am interested in the natural world, particularly coastal landscapes and forests, and animal behaviour and welfare. My writing explores my travel experiences and shares my enthusiasm for nature. I believe in the importance of public engagement through storytelling as a tool for encouraging people to protect their environment.
Projects
I am currently seeking an agent to represent a book about how places in the Isle of Purbeck have changed since the 1940s when Enid Blyton drew inspiration from them for her Famous Five series.
One of my current projects is editing the Ape Rescue Chronicle, Monkey World’s newsletter. Monkey World rescue and care for primates who have had a rough start in life and have rescued animals from backgrounds such as the pet trade, laboratories and circuses.
In 2008, I started the Jungle Times, a newsletter for Danau Girang Field Centre in Sabah, Borneo. After producing it for a year I handed over the reins to a new editor, and it is still in production today. I have also won the weekly travel tips competition in The Telegraph with a short piece about a hostel stay in Peru.
Background
My professional background is in animal care and conservation. I have spent the last eleven years working with rescued primates in the UK, and have worked with NGOs, scientific field sites and rescue centres in Malaysia, Madagascar, Indonesia and Peru.
During my time at Cardiff University, where I studied for a Bachelor of Science in Biology, I wrote regularly for Gair Rhydd and Quench, and enjoyed presenting shows on Xpress Radio. A wildlife programme, Monkey Business, was the creative result of living and working in Borneo with co-presenter Chloe Parker after we returned to Wales. The show injected a healthy dose of nature and science into the airwaves while trying to slip big-hair classic rock songs into the approved noughties indie playlist. Specialist shows were usually aired at night, but for some reason the Station Manager allowed us to broadcast biology news, features on nocturnal primates and interviews with chemists every Friday morning. I left the experience with a stack of obscure promo CD singles and a Student Media Award for Best Interview.
Inspiration
Books have been a lifelong source of information, escapism, adventure and solace, and reading has remained an essential part of my life as I develop my skills as a writer.
The natural world has inspired me from a young age and I was fascinated with non-human primates. It didn’t take long for me to discover the concept of endangered species, and my alarm at the severity of the biodiversity and climate crises has only increased with age. It was this that inspired me to study biology and follow a career in conservation.
Work with me
If you would like to commission a nature or travel article, or discuss writing ideas, I am happy to hear from you.
You can get in touch with me here or follow me on Twitter.
Work in Progress
I am currently working on a non-fiction book about the Famous Five and the Isle of Purbeck. My work has been published in publications such as Dalesman, Scottish Mountaineer, The Pilgrim and Wheels Alive.
