Hello!

My name is Mary, and I’m a writer and artist. I believe stories aren’t plucked from thin air, they are hiding in plain sight. Stories locked inside museum crates, crouching in old churchyards, and tucked away in history’s greatest mysteries.

Whether I’m writing a folklore-infused mystery or a fast-paced action heist, my work is driven by secret history: taking the real facts, objects, and events we recognise and weaving a fictional tale around them.

For nearly two decades, I had a front-row seat to how children enjoy stories. My years as a primary school teacher taught me that the best part of any day is story time on the carpet. It is there that I discovered how young readers gravitate towards honesty, humour, and emotion within a story, especially when  wrapped in the excitement of a high-stakes adventure that makes you want to turn the page. 

There's no better feeling than sharing a story together.

Over my last 8 years in education I served as a Specialist Advisory Teacher for children with physical support needs. This role gave me great respect for the real resilience that many children show every day. By weaving these experiences into my characters, I aim to create worlds that, while extraordinary, remain relatable to those finding their own way through childhood. 

My love for literature led me to The Story Museum in Oxford, where I spent several years helping narratives come alive for audiences of all ages. Combined with training in storytelling and museum learning, this background taught me how storytelling can appeal to so many audiences in a variety of ways.

I hold a B.A. (Hons) in English Literature and have studied creative writing at the University of Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education. I am the first and only person in my family to go to university. 

I have also explored the visual side of storytelling at the Anglia Ruskin School of Art summer school for illustration. My writing has been shortlisted for the Flash 500 and placed in the top 3% for the Bridport Prize.

I live with my young family in North Oxfordshire. When I’m not writing or drawing, you’ll usually find me skulking around local museums, hunting for forgotten objects or unexplained events that might just be an idea for a next book.

Please enjoy having a look around the website, and do get in touch!

Best wishes, 

Mary