I was born in 1970 near Liverpool, England. I grew up in suburbia and have always savoured the spit and sawdust aspect of my Scouse roots. I was lucky enough to grow up in a street full of kids, with a big back garden with a little stream at the bottom of it. I think those endless days of playing outside from dawn until dusk in my oaky, nettle-filled, snail-infested wilderness have shaped my love of nature and concerns for the environment.
I’ve had a couple of serious illnesses in my life and those experiences have flavoured my day-to-day life experience and as a result, my writings. I believe a healthy sense of my own mortality is a good thing! I am also fascinated by our bodies and the concept of memories held – sometimes trapped – within the body as well as the mind.
I was lucky enough to go to Oxford University to study French and Russian. I love language and languages, and although I didn’t love Oxford, I am eternally grateful for the way it expanded my mind and my understanding of literature.
My first marriage ended when I was thirty while I was very ill, culminating in my leaving Pakistan, my home at the time. That whole period was hugely impactful and helped me to grow up (at the age of 30!) to who I am now.
Although I’m English originally, I’ve lived in Australia since 2004. I’ve lived and worked in several countries. My original career was in marketing but I moved into organisational development in 2003, recognising that my interests lay far more in the vagaries of people than in the rise and fall of market share figures.
I completed an MSc in Organisational Behaviour in 2004, with my thesis focused on femininity and career progression. I am interested in organisations as masculine structures and how women are forced either consciously or unconsciously to adapt to these. To feed my fascination around how our mindsets and beliefs can shape our behaviour, I completed a Diploma of Neuroscience in Leadership in 2016.
Reading has always been an integral part of who I am. My favourites authors are as diverse as Wally Lamb, A. M. Holmes, Elizabeth Strout. Travel is another passion; I have trekked with gorillas in Rwanda and dived with great whites in South Africa.
I’m very happily married to Paul and we have a wonderful foster son who lives with us. Our dog, Roger, keeps us all in order. I don’t really relate to labels. I don’t class myself as a runner but I’ve run a marathon. I’m still balking at the fact that I might be called a writer even though I’ve set up this website and written a novel. I’ve played soccer since uni but I don’t think it defines me and I certainly don’t think of myself as an expert in anything. I love variety, spontaneity and the joys of life. I feel incredibly blessed to live by the beach and immerse myself in the ocean every day.
