I am a writer, book coach and translator, and have lived for many years between Britain and Spain. I write mostly in English, occasionally in Spanish, and frequently weave the two languages together in my writing as the cultures are woven through my life.
In addition to poetry, which is my first love, I’m an essayist and copywriter. I also write and translate children’s fiction and am a Kobo best-selling children’s author under the pen-name David Aston. You’ll see the covers of many of my books in the images on this page and can find out more on my website.
As a writing coach & mentor, I specialise in poetry and non-fiction, and, through my “From Authority to Authorship” programme, I mentor business experts on their journey to publication.
I offer insights, support and opinion on the writer’s craft through my Social Media platforms, including YouTube, Substack, BlueSky and Instagram.
Available for new projects
I am currently open to creative & commercial copywriting projects, ghostwriting and translations, as well as creative collaborations and competition judging (poetry or creative non-fiction).
In addition, I offer a range of virtual workshops on poetry and creative writing (including some through the medium of Spanish) and have several online video courses available. I offer mentoring for non-fiction authors and poets and poetry critique, from single-session consultancy to longer-term arrangements.
Activities & involvements
As joint owner of Tantamount creative agency, I’ve worked with freelance creatives, businesses and educators on many projects that combine aspects of publishing, design & technology.
My poetry has been awarded prizes and commendations, including Autumn Voices (runner-up 2025), King’s English Society (winner, March 2026), the Canto Prize (short-listed 2026), NAWG (First Prize, 2024, Third Prize 2025, and Second Place in the members’ Comedy Writing competition 2026) and Stephen Spender Trust (commended, 2024). Earlier wins include Torriano (First Prize, 2008), Barnet (First Prize, 2008), and Writing Magazine (various). My poems have been published in magazines and anthologies, on the web, in schoolbooks – and even in an 11+ test paper!
I was poet-in-residence at TEDx Leamington Spa in 2017, I have performed at festivals and open mics, and I have been an active member of various writers’ groups in the UK, in Spain and online. I am a member of the Poetry Society and led the Madrid Stanza for a number of years. Currently I am a member of the Zoom Stanza and I also host the Global Online Stanza.
I firmly believe in collaboration and community, and was co-director of the South Warwickshire Literary Festival, a locally-focused festival from 2022-2025. In addition to my involvement in the event organisation, brand and marketing, I covered a last-minute main hall gap in 2023 with a talk about creative inspiration, I gave one-to-one poetry feedback sessions, led workshops on presentation skills for writers and ekphrastic poetry. I was also competition judge (creative non-fiction 2023 & 2024 and poetry 2025) and hosted the lunchtime open mic session.
One favourite project was a collaboration with a Spanish friend, which started during the Covid pandemic lockdown and resulted in three independently-published books of Modern Pagan Prayers, as well as a prayer writing workshop, which my co-author Lucía and I delivered for Harvard Divinity School’s Ecological Spiritualities Conference. The experience gained through this project formed the basis of a course I taught on Co-authoring & Collaboration at Swanwick Writers’ Summer School, where I have also led courses in poetry and digital publishing.
Creative vision
I am fascinated by the multi-layered aspects of language revealed through translation and poetry. My creative writing explores the blurred borders between writer and narrator, between translation and creation, between memoir and invention, and between poetry and prayer.
Discover more about me and my projects on my website, where you will find a range of writing resources and can sign up for my newsletter about the craft of writing.