Winners Directory

I was born in Colchester, Essex in 1978. I studied at the University of Sussex and I have a degree in Linguistics and Spanish. I have been a private Spanish tutor to children for many years and picked up along the way, what interests children and what makes them tick!

I noticed that children learn best when they don’t realise they are learning. That is why a fun story is a good way to introduce another language. As part of my degree I studied second language acquisition in children and am aware that introducing a foreign language to a child at an early age is the best for their learning. My bilingual stories are written predominantly in English with Spanish or French slipped into the context, therefore children are almost unaware that they are learning. Pronunciation guides are also included in the back

Since writing my bilingual stories with a difference, I was inspired to write 'Ranvir Cannot Hear'. My sister had visited the Rangammal school in India for children with a hearing impairment and told me some lovely stories of the students there. I also had a friend who works with deaf children and she loved my idea of a story, and so Ranvir was born! It's a tale of inclusion and empowerment, teaching children not to worry about what they can't do but focus on what they can. 10p of every book sold goes to to the Sylvia Wright Trust which runs the Rangammal school. BSL and ASL alphabets are also included in the back so children can learn to sign.

I then released 'Vivi the Spanish Superdog' which is a story about my own rescue dog from Spain and supports the centre I got her from. It is another bilingual story with more Spanish slipped into the context as a step up from my previous books. This Christmas I released 'Vivi the Spanish Superdog Saves Christmas'  in her memory as she passed at the grand old age of 16. This is my first seasonal book and a fun and festive story.

My other books are'Sam and the Spider', 'The Resident Pheasant' and 'The Alternative Alphabet'. All of these books have a theme of inclusion and the first two are about kindness and empathy.  Sam and the Spider was written in collaboration with the multi-schools council. The council listens to the voice of the pupils from mainstream schools and special schools and the story hopes to break down perceptions of children with special educational  needs. It also helps to nurture empathy and kindness. It has since gone on to be delivered into every primary school in Essex.

Last year I also helped other authors to bring their books to life and I wrote two stories for 'Mr Lumpy and Friends' which is a wildlife page following the adventures of the badgers, foxes and squirrels in their garden. We collaborated and they published two of my stories in hardback with wonderful illustrations on each page. In turn I helped with with the design, proofreading and print process from start to finish

In my spare time, I love to do resin craft, rollerskate and spend time with my husband and beautiful daughter.