I have always been a storyteller. I think it is just something in the blood, a need to create something unique, something amazing. It churns within you and forces its way out. I think when a story has taken hold of you you have no choice not to write it. This took root in my love of fantasy. As a young boy living in rural Fermanagh I was deeply inspired by fantasy novels written by the likes of Neil Gaiman, David Gemmell and J.R.R Tolkien. This, paired with my fascination with mythology, meant there was rarely a moment in my life where I have not been creating something. Be it high flying fantasy, dark gritty realistic worlds or whatever genre is at the top of my head I have always searched for and uncovered the stories that matter to me. Stories exist in everything around us. Mythology is ingrained in our every day lives and culture. At the route of everything we all share a unified longing for narrative. For me this calling is undeniable.
I have always endeavoured to create the stories that I find in the world. The fantastical hidden behind the ordinary. My audio novel 'The Bogman Waking' was written in response to my diagnosis of thyroid cancer and tackles themes of the uncertainty of the unknown, death and the dangers of absorbing dogma in fearful situations. My short stories connect to real world history that has effected, and continues to effect, our modern world today. My poetry relates to my love of the island I call home and the beauty that can be found in the things that we will one day lose. In all of my work I try to bring forth both the darkness and the light and the complexity of humans caught in the middle.
I have had a wide and varied life and I believe this has informed my writing significantly. My studies of Ancient History and Mythology at Manchester University have given me insight into culture and people across time. My time as a skipper in Croatia, a field guide in South Africa and a teacher in Italy have informed and developed me as a person whilst giving me a unique perspective.
I hope you enjoy the stories I write as much as I enjoy creating them.