Book & Articles

Christophe’s Story

Short-listed for the Portsmouth Book Award

Much to my 8 year old grandaughter's disapproval, Christophe's Story is on the SLA Riveting Reads list of Boys into Books (5-11). Bella says the story is for girls too.

Novel for 8+, FRANCES LINCOLN 2006, published 2006

ISBN 10: 1 -84507 521 8 (paperback)

ISBN 13: 978 1 84507 521 7 (hardback)

I wrote this story after talking to a number of asylum-seekers and refugees and hearing about some of the dreadful things that have happened to them.

It’s a story about an eight year old refugee from Rwanda who is starting at a new school in London. He has a story inside him, and this story wants to be told. But with a new country, a new school and a new language to cope with, Christophe can’t find the right words. He wants to tell the whole school why he had to leave Rwanda, why he has a scar made by a bullet from a soldier’s gun and what happened to his baby brother, but has he got the courage to be a storyteller? Christophe must find a way to break through all these barriers so that he can share his story with everyone.

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Mira’s Butterflies

Short story in Lines in the Sand, ed Hoffman & Lassiter,

FRANCES LINCOLN 2003(ISBN 0 7 112 22827)

Mira’s Butterflies is one of the stories and poems about war and peace in an anthology that was written by children’s writers and illustrators at the time of the war in Iraq. Proceeds from the book go to help children injured in the war.

Mira’s Butterflies tells the story of a man with dark thoughts who envied his neighbour’s happiness and contentment. He persuaded his generous neighbour to allow him to come and live with her. Soon his dark thoughts invaded her peace and quiet. Mira’s Butterflies tells the story of what happened next. It’s a story about greed and selfishness, and the problem of sharing things with someone else. It’s also a story about the way that arguments make every one unhappy if you don’t sort things out.

To view the opening paragraphs of Mira’s Butterflies, Click Here

Baa & the Angels

Baa & the Angels; short story in Give me Shelter,

ed Tony Bradman; FRANCES LINCOLN, published 2007

ISBN: 978 1 84507 522 4 (hardcover)

Give me Shelter is a collection of stories about asylum seekers. In Baa & the Angels, Sabine’s life changes dramatically when her father is caught up in the war in the Congo and killed. Sabine has to escape from the country with her mother and three little brothers and sisters. She loses her father, her home, her school, her friends… Life will never be the same again.

To view the opening pages of Baa & the Angels, Click Here

To FICTION

NON - FICTION

Going the Extra Mile: article in Relating Experience, ed. by Malone, Forbat, Robb and Seden; ROUTLEDGE 2005 (ISBN 0 415 32658 3)

This article is based on my experiences as an interpreter. It describes good and indifferent practices of health care professionals.

Disaster Recovery; article in Community Care; Issue 1483 August 2003

This article is based on a community centre in Gyumri, Armenia, where social work professionals struggle with the aftermath of the earthquake in 1988.

Piggy in the Middle; article in Social Work and Law, ed. Cull & Roche, MACMILLAN 2001; (ISBN 0 333 94587 5)

This article describes the unintended consequences of using an interpreter on the communication between professionals and the users of their services.

Social Work Education and Practice sans Frontieres: article in Issues in Social Work Education, vol 14.1.1994 (ISSN 0261-4154)

This article analyses an imaginative project that took place between French and UK social work colleagues that attempted to explore intercultural differences in practices in an unusual way.

Linking Personal Problems and Social Issues: in Practice, vol 6.2 1993 (ISSN 0950-3153)

This article is based on biographical recording of the life story of a woman who suffered domestic abuse, and whose children were abused by her partner.

Accountability and Assessment in Community Care Implementation: article in Critical Social Policy, Issue 36, 1992/3 (ISSN 0261 – 0183)

This article discusses the implications of the division into purchasers and providers for professional accountability.

Developing and Assessing Anti-Discriminatory and Anti-Racist Practice: article in Issues in Social Work Education, vol. 12.2, 1992 (ISSN 0261 – 4154)

This article attempts to analyse the development and assessment of anti-racist social work practice.

On Record and Open to Question: article in Social Work Today 18.1.90

This article discusses open access for clients to records.

Learning through Empowerment: article in SWT 16.11.89

This article emphasizes and discusses the importance of empowering users of services.

Who Directs Power in Talking with Parents? article in SWT 28.9.89

This article explores power issues in the communication between parents and professionals.

Decision Making and Justice: Do they Register? article in SWT 3.8.89

This article examines decision making in child protection work.

Involving Parents:in Maladjustment and Therapeutic Education, vol 6.3,1988 (ISSN 0264 -4614)

This article is based on the experience of setting up a parents room in a special school

Statementing and the 1981 Education Act: the Process of Decision Making. CRANFIELD PRESS 1987 (ISBN 0 947563 991)

This is a book based on a research project for an MPhil degree, in which I explored the way in which decisions to statement children for special education are made.

Memberships: Society of Authors (and Children & Illustrators’ Group), Federation of Childrens’ Book Groups, IBBY, Scattered Authors’ Society, Forest Writers, and NAWE.