About
About me: I was born in New York City on leap year day, grew up on Long Island and now live in Kent, England. I’ve always been in love with words and as a young child would make greeting cards (which I would hide under my mother’s pillow) and write stories and plays (which I had my sister perform with me for our long-suffering babysitters). At the age of twelve I wrote my first poem. It was around that time I read a biography about the Brontë sisters and decided that I wanted to be a writer too. I spent my third year of university studying at Goldsmith’s College, London. On arrival I immediately fell in love with England. Though I’ve lived here for many years I haven’t lost my accent, and people still ask me how long I’m staying.
Children’s books: My picture books have won some awards, such as the Booktrust Early Years Award, a Parents’ Choice Award and the Stockport Children’s Book Award. I’m very excited that my story about a seal rescue is being published in July 2024, by Walker Books. I wrote The Seal on the Beach after finding a seal on the beach at Cromer, in Norfolk. It’s written in narrative free verse and is gorgeously illustrated by the wonderful Brita Granström. I also have two new books in the pipeline with Walker, one of which is a book of poetry for the very young. I love seeing my words come to life through illustration, and I’m happiest when I’m working on both poetry and picture books.
Poetry: My poetry has been published widely in the UK and abroad. My first collection, The Tailor’s Three Sons and Other New York Poems, won the Mslexia Poetry Pamphlet Competition and was published by Seren. Crossing Into Tamil Nadu won a Templar Quarterly Poetry Prize, and my two full-length collections, The Disappearing Room and The Night We Were Dylan Thomas, are published by Arc Publications.
In 2023 my poem “What Became of Judy at Chase” won the Plough Poetry Prize and “Fear” was highly commended in the Bridport Poetry Competition.