So. Here I am on an afternoon wondering how to describe myself, while listening to Tricky rasp “My Evil Is Strong”. That is not the soundtrack to which to write a healthy autobiographical statement I assure you.
And so, as I begin to say that write for a living, dawdling as I have, Tricky has been replaced by Macy Gray. “I Try”. Yes I do. Sometimes I even succeed.
I’m a freelance journalist and copywriter living in London, England, United Kingdom. I write about design and technology primarily, for such titles as Computer Arts, Digital Arts, MacWorld, and Computer Arts Projects. In the past I have written for a wide and varied slice of the magazine industry cake, including titles like Your Family Tree, Hotline (for Virgin Trains), MacFormat and leisure and hospitality titles like Hotel Report and M&C Report.
I often interview and write Q&As and I also write full-length features. I’ve done news copy and chaired various round table discussions talking about all sorts, like branding, training and typography.
I know one end of my <body> from the other (which is </body> incidentally) and I’m happy to write in your standard word processor, a CMS or InDesign. I’m also at home in iMovie and Photoshop and have limited experience on Adobe Premiere. I don’t have a podcast, but I’m pretty happy on digital audio workstation software. Ableton Live is a favourite, and of course, being a Mac-head, there’s Garageband.
It’s been a while since I last used QuarkXPress; I suspect I’m not alone there.
So, the music has progressed to Busta Rhymes hollerin’ “Fire It Up!” What else can I say? I’ve written for and edited a few business intelligence guides for William Reed publishing, and I’ve even written a couple of books: Dragon Art (2009) and How to Play the Bass Guitar (2010), both for Flame Tree Publishing.
I’ve also carried out copywriting duties for creative agencies including Sequence, Lambie-Nairn and Preloaded. Once upon a time there was such a thing as Gizmondo.com, for which I also wrote copy: marketing, packaging and otherwise. The company didn’t do so well, but I don’t think that was my writing’s fault.
So, what does the evening bring to a London-based freelance journalist and copywriter such as myself? I play bass for a good-time band called Maiden Voyage, which is a hoot and a half, and I also do singer-songwriter stuff on my own. Tra-la-la, jingle-jangle, I-love-you-but-you-broke-my-weary-heart-type of stuff. Plenty of joy there. Really. It’s true.
As Percy Heath’s vibe-heavy Modern Jazz Quartet mellows me out with “The Golden Striker”, I’ve decided to proclaim my love of London, around which I love to walk and cycle, sniffing the diesel and dirt, gasping at the serenity of its quiet side-streets and canal tow paths, the beautiful and unexpected moments of kindness its residents sometimes show each other, like a magician ta-da-ing away his cape to reveal a rabbit beneath, the camaraderie of Arsenal fans in North London pubs, and the jagged, fractious energy that keeps London perpetually in motion, always stumbling forward but never falling over. It is my home and I love it.
But as Billie Holiday begins “God Bless The Child”, I’m reminded that it is really expensive.
Out of time. If you need to find out a bit more about me, drop me a line using the form below. In response, I can say hello, drop you a CV, accept work, or so much more.
Be good, now.