Meet writer & illustrator...

I’m a Suffolk boy at heart. Although life and work has taken me to many other parts of the UK, Suffolk has always been calling me back... 

When I was a child I always drew, and loved exploring the Suffolk countryside, sketchbook in hand. I think I got my love of stories from my family, who often retold tales and legends about Bungay. 

My grandparents ran The Fleece in Bungay during the 1940s; my mother and her two younger brothers grew up there, and, later, loved to scare me with tales of the mysterious “Grey Lady” who haunted them, and, of course, “The Black Dog Of Bungay”. They filled my young head with myths and imaginings, so it was, perhaps, inevitable I’d end up writing and illustrating for a career. I’ve been creating picture books for young children for over thirty years now, but it’s still a thrill to see an idea grow into a book, and to send it out into the world. I don’t work digitally, all my illustrations are drawn, painted and created by hand. 

It’s often said that the big skies and gentle light are good for artists, and certainly the region is full of them. When I decided to make the move back to East Anglia, Bungay was top of my list. 

One of the things I love about living here is the strong sense of community. Writing and illustrating can be a solitary career,