I grew up in a house full of books.
My mother was a librarian. I've loved writing since I learned to read.
I also enjoy the freedom that working from home affords a freelancer.
What training did you undergo?
I studied languages at the University of Leeds.
A little later I did an English Literature degree with Nelson Mandela
University.
And some more time later I did an MA in creative writing at the University of the Western Cape. But the best advice I received was
from a newspaper editor who lived next door. He told me that if I wanted to write I should not study journalism, but something that interested me. I should not find out what's going on out there, try out different ways of thinking. He believed you could not be taught to write, but you could be encouraged to think. I think he was right.
Describe your typical day...
There is no typical day, that's the best part.
If you have a deadline you can work well into the night to meet it.
But if you don't, well... you can head off to the beach or canvas for more work, or write a novel. I love the flexibility.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The flexibility, the creativity, even though not all writing work is creative I once had to edit legal statutes..