Welcome to On Writing & Life

Who am I and why should you be here?

I’m a writer with thirteen books, fiction and nonfiction, some award-winning, on a variety of themes. Dominant amongst them are considerations of war and how it plays out in the lives of generations born after the conflicts; and spiritual adventure; and how to do well by our planet; and being gay.

I’ve taught for much of my life, and am now an emeritus professor of creative writing. I’ll be adding writing tips.

I’m a publisher of a brave little house, Barbican Press, that publishes in the UK and North America … my own life straddles both continents.

I’m old enough not to much care who I offend, and am generally inclined to be helpful.

Why subscribe?

Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.

Stay up-to-date

Never miss an update—every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.

Join the crew

Be part of a community of people who share your interests. Participate in the comments section, or support this work with a subscription.

To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.

Subscribe to On Writing & Life

Experiences and the occasional writing tip from a seasoned if dimly celebrated writer & publisher (UK and America).

People

Writer and publisher, in both the UK and USA