Now retired, my career began as a teacher of French and German and ended as a specialist in helping pupils who do not speak the language of instruction all over the UK and Europe. I was a member of an EU Working Group promoting better Education outcomes for pupils of Roma heritage in Europe. I worked with a Prague school receiving refugee children from The Ukraine in 2014. In retirement I have had a role as Ambassador for Diversity and Inclusion for a Council of Europe project.
I have long enjoyed reading, but my work showed me its power for good. I organised guerrilla reading groups for children from Eastern European Roma and low caste Konkani speaking households and started a writing club after school. I found many unlikely young writers and what writing meant to them. I now write for pleasure. My six-word story would be: Find my pen, then lose myself.
