About
Qualifications
It's 2001. I've just finished my CELTA at Leeds Metropolitan University, and I jump on a plane bound for northern Thailand, where I find a job teaching general English in Chiang Mai. Over the next five years, what began as a leap into the unknown grew into something much bigger. I progressed from general English into EAP and IELTS preparation, and trained as an IELTS Examiner with the British Council in Bangkok. A secondment to the University of Technology Sydney followed, then the International Diploma in Language Teaching Management (IDLTM) at the University of Queensland, before returning to Chiang Mai as Academic Manager, responsible for the teaching programme, staff and standards.
Several years later, back in the UK, I led the establishment of a new EFL department at Hull College, then came to Poland and spent six years as Senior Teacher and Coordinator at International House, Wrocław. I was responsible for mentoring, assessment oversight, resource development, and the school's social programme.
During summer recesses, I worked as Director of Studies for Stafford House International, running a residential summer school in the south of England and leading a diverse team of teachers. Later, I taught study skills and EAP to international students at Lancaster University.
During my final years at International House, freelance teacher-training work for Pearson led to my first writing commission, and from there, writing gradually took over as my main occupation.
These days I write full time and live in Wrocław, Poland, with my trusty dog, Flash. Away from the desk, you'll usually find me snowboarding, making electronic music, or trying out new Asian recipes in the kitchen.
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