I write in a range of genres, but mainly poetry and fiction. The scripting work I have done for radio so far has been facilitated by two producers - Vibeke Venema and Aasiya Lodhi of the BBC - who helped me understand the requirements of radio and spent a lot more time than they should have going over my work with me. Vibeke's work with me paid off handsomely, with pick of the week selections from both the Guardian and the BBC.

My philosophy as a writer is that talent and desire come first; form is secondary. I accept all challenges readily, however, my literary foundations are West African. I read mainly work from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Gambia while growing up. The rhythm, structure and standards of realism of many of the stories I was told influence my work. Of course, Ghana being an ex-colony, I read perhaps more Western fiction than the average Western child has to read, and though I didn't feel deep connections with a lot of the work, it left traces of itself in my psyche. So I suppose you could call my work hybrid - high breed.

My main areas of exploration as a writer are reinterpretation of language (which I approach through voice in fiction and juxtaposition in poetry), micro-cultural conflicts (the idea that the smallest difference in constitution creates conflict such that a man at 5.00pm is in cultural conflict with himself at 5.02pm the same day), and power (how it is used, adapted, carried etc.). Recurring themes are the ideas that, love is irreversible, family is inescapable and that capitalism and humanism are in constant opposition.

I have been published in over 30 magazines, e-zines and journals and have written, contributed to or edited more than 10 books - a short selection is listed on the right. I am currently completing two novels, preparing some of my live work for children for publication and recording work for a CD. My current CD incredible blues is available to buy at cdwow, itunes.com amazon.com and cdbaby.com

Awards, Commendations & Residencies:

Writer-in-Residence, Poetry Cafe (London, 2003)
London Arts Bursary for First Burial - fiction MSS (2003)
New Writers Short Story Prize, Scotch Bonnets - Highly Commended (2004)
Associate Writer-In-Residence, BBC Radio 3 (2005)
Writer-in-Residence, California State University (2007)

eyes of a boy, lips of a man (flipped eye, 1999)

* Fourteen Two (flipped eye, 2004)

M is for Madrigal (tall-lighthouse, 2004)

** Tell Tales Vol 1 (Tell Tales, 2004)

** MIR (Birkbeck, 2005)

Magazines, e-zines and Newspapers:

• the New Writer
• the Interpreter's House
• Dreamcatcher
• x magazine
• the Accra Mail
• Wasafiri
• getunderground.com
• Rustlings of the Wind
• Poetry News

Online Poetry:

on this website
subtletea
poems from V&A residency

Other Work:

articles and reviews
recipe in Poetry on a Plate (Salt, 2004)
co-editor of Dance the Guns to Silence (flipped eye, 2005)
co-editor of Tell Tales III (Tell Tales, 2006)

Products: