Writing

I've been at it a while. At first it was poetry – some has been published; some has won prizes. I now write more prose: very short stories, non-fiction and memoirs.

As a young man, I studied hard, played hard and got into a reasonable amount of trouble. This didn't change when I went to Oxford University. I'm doubtful how much this experience shaped my writing but I had my nose in a book for what seemed like years. In terms of what really set me on the road, it was a workshop with Michael Donaghy – a fine poet and an exceptionally funny man.

I read or listen to Plath when I'm stuck. In terms of other influences, I enjoy the Raymonds (Chandler, Carver) and am also partial to Beckett. I try to write something every day but my most prolific genre is probably the to-do list. When not writing at all, I'm walking the dog or in love with my wife.

Publications