I'm a writer and traveller, with a passion for history and a pair of itchy feet. I'm fascinated by storytelling and the connections (or misconnections!) between past and present.

I've written six books so far. My latest, Monsterland, is due to be published by Scribe Books in 2025. 

The Prester Quest, my first book, sets out from the canals of Venice to the highlands of Ethiopia, following the mission of a medieval physician sent in search of a mythical priest-king. It won the Dolman Travel Book Award.

My second book, Drinking Arak off an Ayatollah's Beard, explores the Persian-speaking world through the lens of an 11th century epic poem, travelling from Tehran to the tomb of a medieval Sultan in Afghanistan.

The Timbuktu School for Nomads is about my experiences amongst nomads in North Africa.

Epic Continent is about some of Europe's iconic tales and my adventures amongst them. 

The Fairy Tellers is a history of fairy tales told through the lives of seven tellers of fairy tales.

I have written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, the Irish Times, Globe and Mail and BBC Online, amongst other publications; spoken on BBC Radio 4 and NPR in the US; given talks at numerous festivals, including Hay-on-Wye, Edinburgh and Rome; and have written plays performed at the Edinburgh Festival and the Finborough Theatre.

If you would like to discuss a commission of any sort, or just say hello, please contact me here.