Biography
‘The Silent Stranger’, my first novel, was published in 2019. I write short stories as well. I have been long-listed and short-listed for various competitions and have had stories published in New Irish Writing, Cyphers and Crannóg. ‘By the Bay of Bengal’, a complete short story, is on this site.
Hello
I was born in Malaysia. I am Irish. My family are originally from East Cork. In the early twentieth century, my grandfather left County Cork to find work, first in India and then in South-East Asia. My father was born in what was then known as Malaya. He met my mother, from County Down, Northern Ireland, in Kuala Lumpur. My siblings and I grew up on the edge of the jungle.
I read Russian and French at Trinity College Dublin. Russia was then part of the USSR. I learnt conversational Russian at a Russian Orthodox monastery outside Paris – rubbing shoulders with émigrés and dissidents over the samovar. I’ve worked as a translator in France, a croupier in London’s Soho and a copywriter for various London advertising agencies.
For three years, I lived in Moscow, supporting my husband in his role over there. We travelled extensively in Central Asia.
We live in London with Saffron, the Saluki. We spend time in France and in Singapore, where our daughter lives.
I am a member of the West London Writers’ Group.