writer ~ maker ~ conservator

 

Fairy tales & folklore, natural history, and the post-industrial landscapes of North-West England all inspire my work.

 

My short stories have appeared in books and magazines, at festivals, on the GCSE syllabus, and in some more unusual places... by combining bookbinding with electronics, I've made stories that respond to sunlight, altitude, air quality, the moon, and tides.

​

Curiosity and a complete disregard for disciplinary boundaries has taken me from originally training as an actor at East 15 (2002), to an MA in Creative Writing at Edge Hill (2011), and then a PhD in Digital Innovation at Lancaster University (2014-18). My PhD research explored technologies and materials for ecological storymaking.

 

A continuing obsession with the materials we use to share stories – and the ways they change over time – inspired me to retrain to become a conservator. I studied for an MA in Preventive Conservation at Northumbria University (2020-2022) and have since worked at Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery and Cumbria Archives.

​

Alongside writing, I've worked as a festival coordinator, bookseller, editor, workshop facilitator, university lecturer and now conservator. In every part of my practice, and in every job I do, I'm drawn to bringing attention to the overlooked and under-wondered at in everyday life.

​

​