Bio

Writing life

I was shortlisted for the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award. My first story collection, Instruction manual for swallowing, was published by Comma Press in 2007. It was nominated for the Frank O’Connor Prize. My stories have also appeared in Prospect magazine and in anthologies including When it changed and The new uncanny from Comma Press,  two Bridport Prize collections and the British Council’s New Writing 15, plus on-line at Pulp.net

Ive also recently contributed an essay on short fiction to Short Circuit: a guide to the art of the short story, from Salt publishing. I’m working on my first novel.

I’ve done readings at The Oxford Literary Festival, Chichester University, The Frank O’Connor Festival in Cork, Alchemy in Prague, the Lancaster Litfest, Manchester Literature Festival, the London Short Story Festival, The Irish Writers’ Centre in Dublin, Tales of the Decongested at Foyles, Notes From The Underground at Whitechapel Art Gallery and various bookshops and coffeshops in London.

Representation

My agent is Will Francis at Janklow & Nesbitt:

Wfrancis@janklow.co.uk

Personal life

I was a time-zone accident. Dad says I was conceived on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on its way to New York – Dad was in the merchant navy for a few years, and he and Mum spent their honeymoon on his boat travelling round the world. During this voyage, they passed through so many time zones that their days got screwed up, opening a window in their contraceptive wall which I slipped through.

I now have two kids of my own. They’re 8 and 5. My wife Naomi and I planned their conception with astronomical detail. Our first son was conceived on the summer solstice. Our second son on the winter solstice. One in New York, one in Paris. We are not hippies. We just felt we owed them a magical welcome into this world. Now we’ve run out of solstices, we won’t have another.

Random

My favourite ice cream is Haagen Daaz strawberry cheesecake. I have seen the movie Explorers over 100 times. I was rubbish at sports at school, but now I have a 2nd degree black belt in Shotokan karate. I have two cats: Bubba Schmell and Pindi, one of whom was recently rescued from my roof by two fire engines. I get up at six every morning and write in my attic. I’d really like to go to Japan. The most listened to track on my iPod is Six underground by Sneakerpimps. I drink my own volume in tea every day.