Community & Events
I love getting out into the local community – visiting schools, meeting readers, and taking part in events with the Portsmouth Authors Collective. Here's a look at what I've been up to, along with a few interviews and features along the way.
Upcoming Events with PAC
We can't wait to see you at our upcoming book fairs and community events!
Join PAC (Portsmouth Authors Collective) at The Aspex Gallery, Gunwharf Quays, for a local book fair. Come and chat with the authors and browse the genres to find your next favourite read.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support the Collective – by taking part in our events, helping fellow authors promote their work, and tuning in to Between the Lines every Sunday evening at 6pm on Radio Victory.
World Book Day at HMS Sultan
Recently I was invited to HMS Sultan as part of World Book Day. The naval children's reading group, Reading Force, was holding a book fair – complete with real pirates in attendance! I was asked to give a talk on the process of creative writing, from the first idea through to publishing.
It was an odd feeling returning to HMS Sultan as an adult – I played many happy games there as a child. A great audience – thank you, HMS Sultan!
School Visit in Bournemouth
In March 2026, I visited a primary school in Bournemouth to chat about writing stories with Year 5C. Malachi & the Sick Dragon inspired the children to create these amazing pictures.
The children asked brilliant questions about where my ideas come from, and a few even shared story ideas of their own – it was wonderful to see their imaginations at work.
Listen: Author Interview on Authors' Alcove
I recently joined the Authors' Alcove podcast for their "Writers on Their Writing Process" series, chatting about my journey from a career in the NHS to writing Taking the Bandage, The Wedding Dress, Look Both Ways, and Inscription.
We dive into my creative process – plotting, revising, researching, and where my characters come from – along with a few honest chats about balancing motherhood, writing, and life outside the page. Have a listen for some insight into how my stories come together, start to finish.
Listen to an Extract from Taking the Bandage
Sit back and enjoy this 15-minute narration of Taking the Bandage, set against the backdrop of Paris – fitting, as this extract follows Lizzie's teenage exchange trip to the city, where she faces a new language and her first taste of independence.
Lizzie's story unfolds across four defining periods of her life: isolation as a baby in a 1950s NHS hospital, where parents could visit for just one hour a week; her formative years in Singapore as the daughter of a naval officer; her teenage exchange trip to Paris; and a "sliding doors" chapter as a young woman, where chance brings her together with the man who would become her husband and the father of her children.