Growing up, I had only ever read one novel featuring Chinese people, and that was Timothy Mo's Sour Sweet. I became a writer to change that. 

I grew up in a council house with my adoptive parents, my older adopted brothers, a bunch of foster Chinese kids, and loads of pets. My mom had a big heart and was always taking in strays. My dad cleaned the machines at Cadburys and my mom was a foster carer and later a dinner lady. My dad's dream job for me was to be an air hostess. He said I could see the world that way.

Did I always want to be a writer? No. I wanted to be a hairdresser when I was 8, a fashion designer when I was twelve, and a rapper when I was fourteen. But I was rubbish at styling my own hair, I didn't get very far designing Madonna's stage outfits from my bedroom, and I couldn't rap to save my life. I studied American Studies at the University of Birmingham. Whilst attending Berkeley on my year abroad, I studied Asian-American and African-American Studies and it opened up a whole new world of history and literature that had been invisible to me growing up. My dissertations were on how the Chinese were represented in film and literature. 

After my studies, I went to live in Taipei to learn Mandarin Chinese (I didn't get very far). Whilst there, someone asked me what I wanted to do with my life and I blurted out 'write books!' I gained a place on the National Academy of Writing course at Birmingham City University and quit my job in the charity sector. My short plays have been performed in a museum and a Chinese restaurant. I've been a storyteller and have done many school and library visits around the country. I was a participant in Room 204, the Writing West Midlands writer development scheme, in 2015/16.

In 2016, I was chosen for Megaphone, a brilliant project to find and assist new voices in children's publishing. Myself and four other writers were mentored by author Leila Rasheed; and attended masterclasses with Alex Wheatle, Candy Gourlay, Catherine Johnson and Patrice Lawrence. I am so happy to be back as a mentor for Megaphone 2021! Check out Megaphone here:  https://megaphonewrite.com/

I enjoy writing characters who are ordinary people. I seem to have mastered writing working class and old people, that may be because I spent a long time looking after my dad into his 80s. 

As well as being a writer, I love leading creative writing sessions, eating crisps inside of sandwiches, playing UNO and singing karaoke (I have my own machine which is not sad at all!).  

I founded the Glasgow Children's Writers Group whilst I was the SCBWI Glasgow Hub Contact. As well as mentoring one British East & Southeast Asian writer a year, I also facilitate Bubble Tea Writers Group on facebook for writers of East Asian and Southeast Asian descent who have grown up in the UK. I am also a BEATS screenwriting fellow and my mentor is the fantastic Emma Reeves who writes for loads of shows that you probably know: The Worst Witch, The Demon Headmaster and My Mum Tracy Beaker. 

I can't wait for you to read my debut novel and meet Danny Chung and his family! #DannyChungBook