Architect,
designer, and author of three novels, a children's book, and a
biography of the artist Gillian Watkiss.
I was born in an old
Cornish cottage in the rural parish of St Levan.
Dylan Thomas
lived there before his marriage to Caitlin.
My parents then moved
to Zennor, a remote coastal village where D.H. Lawrence and his
German wife, Frieda, had a cottage during the first world war. At the
time, and because of Frieda's background (she was related to the
infamous Red Barron), the locals suspected them of spying.
The
relevance these famous writers have to my story is, precisely... none
whatsoever. They are just interesting facts about two elite literary
figures I considered worth bandying about in this biography. I'm not
saying our closely shared geographical history has, in any way,
enhanced my own literary talents.
However, I'm sure Dylan and
Lawrence would have really enjoyed my novels had they lived long
enough to read them.
Sons and Lovers is a fantastic novel, but, in
my opinion, Lady Chatterley's Lover is over-rated. You'd be better
off reading my second novel, Showing Off, as it's far funnier and
really entertaining.
I was seven when the family moved again. This
time from Zennor to St.Just.
St just is a mining town near
Pendeen (Poldark country, to fans of the series).
When I left home
at seventeen and moved to St. Ives, those innocent and happy years
were well and truly over.
My sister Sharon was killed in a car
accident when she was seventeen (just over a month after my sixteenth
birthday).
The nightmare of that event and the emotional growing
pains we all go through hit me hard.
My early twenties were marred
by a steep decline into depression and anorexia.
I self-medicated
by chain-smoking at least forty cigarettes a day. The idea of
anti-depressants had not occurred to me. It wasn't until I emerged
from under that very dark cloud that I realised it had been shadowing
me.
Depression wasn't talked about back in the day.
Although I
sometimes, unwittingly, re-visit that twenty-year-old self and feel
the Earth shifting uneasily beneath my feet, the gift of two
beautiful sons, a happy marriage (later in life, not with boys' father) and a great family keep me
afloat.
In my most recent novel, Lies & Revelations, some of
my personal struggles with mental health have helped shape the
narrative.
For twelve years, I ran a vintage clothing shop in
Penzance called Kitts Couture,
In that time, I organised five
vintage fashion shows at local venues.
The idea for Showing Off
was shaped by that experience.
My children's story, Caterpillar
Cat, is based on the true story of Caterpillar Cat, a stray who's
moved in and become part of the family.
In 2020 I published a book
called, In Conversation with Gill Watkiss, a compilation of
interviews and photographic illustrations of the artist's (my
mother's) work.
Mum also features (fictionally) in my two first
comic novels.
This year, 2022, I'm working on a new novel and a
collection of short stories.
My books to date
The winner of the World Casino's - FEBCASINO 10cric 10cric william hill william hill 151Play Real Money Casino Online for Free (No Deposit Bonus)
ReplyDelete