Category: Blog


  • Animating Ideas – Patron of Reading Visit

    I had a great first day at North Durham Academy yesterday. I’m Patron of Reading there for the next year and was looking forward to meeting the pupils who I’ll be working with. As well as an assembly talk and a library meet & greet I did a creative writing session for the Gifted &…

  • Patron of Reading 2016

    I’m thrilled to let you know I’ve been appointed as the Patron of Reading for North Durham Academy in Stanley, County Durham.   What is a Patron of Reading? A Patron of Reading (PoR) is a school’s special, designated children’s author with whom the school forms a personal attachment. The patron might be a writer…

  • Talking Doctor Who

    Talking Doctor Who

    Earlier this month I met up with Cameron K McEwan, broadcaster, writer, actor and owner of the popular Blogtor Who website. Cameron has written two books about Doctor Who, both of which are well worth buying. I picked up his latest work on a recent visit to London’s Forbidden Planet (£3 off no less!) and…

  • My 2014 – a better year

    Years have a funny way of creeping up on us, don’t they? We think we know exactly where they are then some time around August they hide behind our backs, jump out and whack us in the face with a fist full of December. BAM! The year’s out. Done and dusted. And all those ambitions…

  • My 2013 – the best of times, the worst of times.

    2013 was my first year as a proper published author, and what a strange, exciting, terrifying, anxious, fun year it’s been! I think Charles Dickens was onto something with his opening line from A Tale of Two Cities: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom,…