Journalism
I am a writer. It was my first ever diary that did it: even at the tender age of 11, I could see the promise and possibility offered by each clean, blank page. In 2005, I began to take my writing more seriously; within 12 months I’d begun an MA in Novel Writing at The University of Manchester, published a cultural magazine, had my first feature published (in the Guardian) and become an editor for Time Out Manchester. I have since written for the Independent, Guardian, BBC, Hotline, the Arts Council, Manchester Confidential and many other publications. Here are some of my favourite pieces of work.
The Twentieth Century: How It Looked & How It Felt.
Published by Tate, ISBN 1-85437-793-7.
A 96pp book that tackles two of the major art movements of the last century: abstraction and figuration. As the cover says, ‘This is your guide to Tate Liverpool and the exhibition The Twentieth Century: How it looked & how it felt, a display of work drawn from the Tate’s own collection of modern and contemporary art. This book leads you through some of the most exciting developments and artworks of the past one hundred years, exploring two broad themes: figuration and abstraction. It includes some of the Tate’s most famous works, such as Rodin’s The Kiss and Degas’ Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.’ I researched, wrote and edited the book.
Shortlist Guide to Manchester.
Published by the Time Out Group, ISBN-10 1-846700-38-8.
A 192pp pocket guidebook to Manchester, which breaks this most cultural of cities into eight geographic areas before uncovering the best galleries and museums, shops, bars, restaurants, clubs and more. This guidebook came hard on the heels of the pilot issue of Time Out Manchester; I was the guidebook’s arts and leisure editor and the magazine’s news and entertainment editor.
All Saints No Sinners.
Published by The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.
Sometimes, projects come along that are a gift. All Saints No Sinners was one of them. This quarterly magazine was created to celebrate the cultural greatness of a single street in Manchester. This was no ordinary thoroughfare, though: it was Oxford Road, home to the BBC, the University of Manchester and MMU; with the Whitworth at one end, Central Library at the other and Cornerhouse and the Castlefield galleries in between. In its short life, the magazine celebrated the history, politics and cultural impact of Oxford Road, covering everything from universal suffrage and digital democracy to In The City and new short fiction penned by some of Manchester’s leading writers. I was the magazine’s editor, and I worked with Creative Concern to bring this gorgeous little magazine to life.
The Guardian.
I have published numerous travel features for The Guardian, on subjects as diverse as travelling in Laos to alternative music festivals in far-flung destinations. My favourite feature, however, concerns travel stress (or more specifically, how to avoid it). Click here to read it.
The Independent.
Self Made City.
This in-depth feature was published to coincide with the Labour Party’s first annual meeting in Manchester for almost 100 years. This ‘quick stroll through Manchester’s political past’ covered the city’s socialist track record, taking in everything from the Suffragettes to Karl Marx, and from the birth of the Co-operative Movement to the beginnings of Free Trade.
Transmission.
Published by Transmission three times a year.
I acted as Editorial Consultant for Manchester’s literary magazine for two years and, in the process, published in-depth interviews with authors as diverse as Booker Prize winner, John Banville, Jon MacGregor, Toby Litt and Orange Prize for Fiction winner, Rose Tremain. Read my interview with John Banville here.