Read anything and everything to keep those creative portals open! I don't believe you can be a writer unless you're also a reader, because mastery of the written word endures beyond any kind of literary fashion. As a child, I was enthralled by KIpling, Mark Twain and Richmal Crompton's wonderful "Just William" series, all of which expanded my vocabulary greatly, before moving on to the Sci-fi greats, PG Wodehouse, and the anarchic genius that was 'Mad' magazine. Student days were dominated by British writers (well I was studying English Literature) such as JRR Tolkien, H.E. Bates, humorist Alan Coren, and the ghost-stories of MR James along with the fabulous 'Modesty Blaise' books, and middle-age brought the legend that is Sir Terry Pratchett and his Discworld novels (my biggest comic-fantasy influence.) I also devour the crime-genre: gritty (Sue Grafton) is good, gory (Jeff Lindsey's 'Dexter') is an excellent read, but a touch of humour, a la Janet Evanovitch, is even better. There can never be enough time to read all that's out there, or to write down everything that's in your head, but I am giving it my best shot. Thanks, Mum and Dad, for all those spell-binding bedtime stories that started me off on my chosen path.

Two short stories, 'Squirrels' and 'Mooncall' won the 2006 and 2009 'Square Dog' Northern writers contests, and were subsequently broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
'Squirrels' also won the 2009 'Aesthetica' Literary Fiction prize, and 'Mooncall' was included in the first American 'Wolfsong' anthology.
Another short story, 'Sparrowbane', also won the 2010 Village Writers award.