The basics
I’m a medical dystopian and horror author born in Newcastle, NSW in the 70s. I grew up sailing on the lake, casing the local video store for the latest horror releases, and dreaming about marrying Gilbert Blythe. I’m a social introvert, a mum, and a bit of a nomad.
As a young adult I had two dreams – to write a book as fucked up as I could without being arrested, and to learn how to drive an ambulance.
25 years later I joined the ambulance service. In the same year I finished the first draft of my debut novel, ‘Bruit’.
Not just a writer
As a rural ambo in Victoria, Australia, I love bringing a little joy to someone on the worst day of their lives. I love the critical thinking, the adrenaline, and the banter with my partner in the truck at 3am in the middle of buttfuck nowhere. But if I’m honest, I’d probably rather sit in a random forest and write about it instead.
The immense privileges of being a mum don’t need stating here.
My inspirations
Inspired by the writings of Hugh Howey, Margaret Atwood and Stephen King, ‘Bruit’ combines my love of character-driven dystopian fiction, supernatural horror and medical themes.
When I’m not writing, I’m singing loudly in the car to my favourite artists (Evanescence, Bastille, Banks, M83, Royksopp, Troye Sivan and Aurora), hiking (yes, it is fun) and sitting in the forests doing the thinking.
What is my writing about?
The world of ‘Bruit’ is near-future dystopian Melbourne (late 2050s) where paramedics, a contagious prion disease and state surveillance all collide. My short stories are (mostly) set in the same universe. On my short stories page you’ll find some of the back-stories of my Bruit characters.
The uncomfortable conflict between science (particularly medical) and the supernatural are key themes, but also how love and camaraderie can blossom (and be tested) in a brutal, caged-in society.
It’s a bleak world, one I’ve built and lived in inside my head for years. But the question I’ve always asked is, ‘we may think we live in a civilised world now, but how far away are we really from the world of ‘Bruit’”?
Welcome to my corner of the internet. Don’t get trapped, now.