From my home in Dalmally, Argyll, in the West Highlands of Scotland, my family moved south to England when I was four years old. From a young age, I developed a passion for creative writing and left school at 15 to pursue my dream. However, I  didn’t have much to write about at that age, and life intervened. So I made a career in IT, which took me around the world and allowed me to live in many fascinating places, including Paris, Brussels, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, São Paulo, Pompano Beach, Palo Alto, London, and various places across the UK. I earned an MSc in Software Engineering from Oxford University and became a regular speaker at technology and higher education conferences. I retired in 2021 following the loss of my wife, Geraldine, who was French, after four decades together. I returned to Dalmally after more than sixty years away to focus on writing and exploring new creative paths.

My wife of over 40 years was French, and we lived in Paris and other French-speaking places for many years. Even today, I am used to working and writing documents in French, which is why I am interested in translation, from and to, particularly literary works that require cultural interpretation.