By now you should have all received your copy of Distortion. I really hope you’re enjoying it. And thanks again to everyone who has been posting photos of the book on social media. I’m forever grateful to each of you for supporting and crowdfunding this thing. As I’ve written in the acknowledgements page, the book simply wouldn’t exist without your faith and generosity. 

I know you’re all very…

The novel is now fully-funded! Thank you so, so much to everyone who has backed the book with pledges and by helping to spread the word about it. You have no idea just how much I appreciate your support and generosity. This book would simply not be happening without each and every one of you.  

I'm very grateful, also, for all the messages of encouragement over the past 16 months and for the…

So I don't imagine any backers of this book monitor my crowdfunding metrics on an hourly basis the way that I do. But if you have been, you'll have noticed that something strange occurred this past week. In the space of a mere second, we jumped from 65% funded to 74% funded without any new pledges of support. This wasn't a bug or a glitch. Basically, we moved the goalposts: we've cut the…

Dear everyone who has kindly backed my book.

Here's a link to an article I've written for today's Guardian about the stress and stigma faced by young carers. Everyday these kids perform a lonely and emotionally complex high-wire act, hidden from the rest of society. But today is Young Carers Awareness Day.  

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/26/crisis-young-carers-uk-child-schools…

New research published today by Carers Trust suggests that last year’s Care Act has made little or no difference for many carers. 

Those of us trying to highlight the issues faced by carers will often emphasise the “hidden-ness” of their world. Carers tend not to identify themselves as such. This might be because they don’t realise that they’re carers or because they feel their needs…

This story originally appeared in 'Four Letter Word' an anthology of fictional love letters published by Chatto & Windus.   

Dear Mum,

Did dad write letters to you? I know he sent you the odd bunch of flowers when you were both young (I suppose the correct word is courting) because I found the little message cards you kept. I was clearing out some old crates and boxes in the…

This week is national Carers Week. I know many of you have backed my book because you’re interested in the subject of young carers, so I wanted to flag up some other things you might want to check out this week.

• Here’s a link to an incredible radio package broadcast on Wednesday on Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine show. 16-year-old Shantavia discusses what life is like for a young carer - "I felt…

I’ve been holding off writing my first post here because I’ve spent the first couple of weeks of the crowdfunding fixated by my man-flu. And, let’s face it, nobody wants to read about your man-flu. Still, this reminds me of something that I reckon I should share with those of you who’ve kindly shown an interest in this book. Just as nobody wants to read a blog-post about the flu, I once heard a writer…