I was born in Leicester in 1971 and grew up in a multicultural, multi-racial community close to the city centre. As a child I dreamt about three things – playing football for Liverpool FC, being Bob Marley and becoming a writer. At the age of eleven I read the book that would inspire me to write. It was The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend. Other authors had inspired me to write for fun (Roald Dahl in particular) but it was Sue Townsend who became a true role model. From that point writing became an important hobby and I practiced almost every day. I read countless books, often copying an author’s style in order to find my own. 

In 1991, after being schooled at Judgemeadow Community College and QE II Sixth Form, I moved to London to attend Southbank University. I graduated in 1994 with a degree in Politics. For the next two years I moved from one awful job to another until personal circumstances (and a lack of money) forced my return to Leicester. Over the next few years I worked for a large supermarket, sold random things over the phone, and eventually settled as the manager of a bar and then assistant manager of a nightclub. It was during this latter period that I began to write my first novel, (un)arranged marriage.

            Eventually I showed parts of my novel to Jennifer Luithlen, an agent based in Leicester, and she agreed to take me on. The novel, having been edited, was then shown to Transworld (now Random House). I was cleaning dusty shelves when I got the call that I’d been waiting for. The publisher loved the story and wanted to offer me a contract. For the next six months I spent every spare hour trying to get the story finished, often writing during the very early hours of the morning. The novel was published in 2001 to great acclaim and I embarked on the career I had dreamt about as a child.

            The Crew and then Rani & Sukh followed the first novel – both well received and widely read. I was now an established voice in the young adult/teenage market, having written some shorter books for Barrington Stoke, starting with Dream On. I had also started to receive requests for school visits and now spend a large part of the year doing events, promotions and creative writing classes – which I love. Many of my books have been shortlisted for prizes, with (un)arranged marriage and Rani & Sukh being particularly successful.

            Since those early days I have continued to write stories about teenagers and also branched into the younger market with my Soccer Squad series. I am often asked to go abroad to talk about my work and have also appeared on television and radio. In 2010 Rani & Sukh became a set-text for GCSE, something that I never thought would happen. My aim has always been to write the sort of books me and my mates (many of whom didn’t read) would have loved at school. Reading for pleasure is a passion for me and I try to instill that in everyone I talk to. I hope to continue writing for a long as I can.

            I am a massive fan of reggae music and Liverpool FC. I also read every day (my favourite genre is crime fiction) although not always fiction. I believe that non-fiction, graphic novels, comics and newspapers etc…are just as valid as forms of reading. I also love to cook, to travel and to watch film.

            You can also follow me on twitter, Facebook and Blogger.

Favourites – these are all questions I’ve been asked in the past!

Music – reggae, ska, alternative, 60’s soul…

Musician or band – Bob Marley & The Wailers

Food – fried chicken – will be the death of me!

Drink – Cider

Film – The Godfather (part 2)

Book – too many to list

Football team – Liverpool FC (obviously!)

Colour – Red

Authors – Sue Townsend, Roald Dahl, Douglas Adams, James Lee Burke…

Place Visited – too many! Stockholm, Maldives, Thailand, New York…

Computer game – Batman Arkham Asylum (until the new one comes out!)

Artist – Salvador Dali

Day of the Week – Sunday

Pizza Topping – Pepperoni.

TV Show – The Wire