About

Why do I write?

I want to craft a vivid tapestry of story to re-evaluate, explore and celebrate unheard, missing and misunderstood histories – rather than talk about what has been lost. I want to do the same thing for more recent generations and the experiences that have so shaped them. I do this because the vitality, humour and individuality of the personalities I have seen – their battles too = have not only inspired my respect but also my amusement and my love. I want to tell those stories with close attention to craft and empathic imagination, because I believe there is no better way to show depth of humanity. Life is sacred; and stories are able to demonstrate that when pleas for human rights cannot. It bothers me to see so much of my community still stuck in poverty of every kind – economic, intellectual, and spiritual. I want to tell stories that make people see how rich they truly are and that makes the world want to celebrate that richness with them. It is very easy to curse the darkness, but all that does is deepen shame. I never shirk from re-examining our history, but choose to do that in a way that celebrates the light and makes people believe in their sacredness, recognise their complexity and contradictoriness, and feel the fundamental worth of their lives.