I write novels for teenagers and adults that explore identity, class and the formation of self, as well as books for younger children celebrating curiosity and non-conformity, often through the device of comedy. I've been nominated three times for the Carnegie Medal, and shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Lollies, while the TV adaptation of Joe All Alone is now a BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated BBC drama. I'm on the editorial board of Leaf Journal on Writing for Young People, the Society of Authors' Childrens Writers and Illustrators Group committee, and peer review for Bloomsbury. 

I'm interested in supervising/co-supervising PhD research in Creative Writing that focuses on contemporary British children's literature, or which features narratives exploring class, especially those set in the 20th century.