I am a novelist and writer of three novels with the next two on the way. I live in Tuscany where I write and offer writing and creative practice retreats. I offer these either alone or with collaborators who share the values and aims of the retreat. I have an MA in politics and comparative literature as well as another in creative writing.

I have been supporting writers with their work for many years as well as offering close mentorship of both writers and novels.

I have also worked as a mentor and external examiner in a more formal university arena at a post grad level and have helped many writers prepare their novel for submission to agents.

I myself have benefitted from wonderful teachers and mentors and through the close support and insight of these writers and industry professionals have built a deep appreciation for the ongoing apprenticeship that is central to building a career as a writer.

I believe that any writing course can teach a writer to write one book that may or may not sell, but to build a set of skills and practices that will sustain a writer over the long-term and allow them to write any book across genres is something that is fundamentally more empowering.

I believe that learning the mechanics of the novel is not enough, rather I invite writers to embrace an active and intentional approach to their creative practice as a whole. To be a writer is not to sit down with a list of bullet points on how to write a novel, rather it is a way of being in the world. It is who you are. In addition to giving you the scaffold on which to hang your beautiful book, I believe in building habits that will open up the space for instinctive, powerful work.

Learning how to write is also about learning how to think.

I believe in doing deep archeology. On the book yes, but also on who you are as a writer and what your specific perspective brings to the story. What is it that you have to say?

My approach with writers whether in a group or individual setting is to work on the mechanics of writing, learning to build and sustain a creative practice as well as the intersection of themselves, their world view and the book they are writing.

I work across genres including clients working on non-fiction but do not work on YA or children’s literature, horror or sci-fi.

It is important to me that we are a good match, it works better for both of us. If we are not a match I always recommend other mentors who might be better suited to your work. Find out more about my teaching and mentoring here and if you would like to book an introductory discovery call to discuss your work please do so here.