- The onslaught of the real academic pursuits as I approached my teenage years meant that my childhood dream of writing stories faded into the background and became dormant. I then entered the world of work in the administration/finance sector, until I was struck by a life changing event.
- In mid 1998, I suffered a severe period of ill health that caused me to lose my job on medical grounds. I underwent a number of hospital tests, including head scans, to find out why I was having regular episodes of losing my balance. It was later diagnosed as Menieres. Whilst in my recovery period, and being housebound, I needed something to occupy my mind; salvation was found when my writing dream was revived.
- I enrolled in a home-based Creative Writing course with The Writers' Bureau and, after completing an NVQ Accountancy course at Queen Elizabeth's Training College for the Disabled in Leatherhead without any real problems, made a good enough recovery to return to work part time. In 2004, whilst I was living up north for a few years, I enrolled onto a classroom-based Creative Writing course run by Derbyshire County Council and tutored by Derek Fox, an established published author. Very quickly, I learnt a lot about where I had gone wrong with my previous writing. Using my new-found knowledge, I took the decision to rewrite from scratch all the short stories, articles and the one completed novel that I had previously done with The Writers' Bureau, I successfully attained Level One and Two writing qualifications in Creative Writing and, in the process, started on another novel, entitled 'Early Memory', which became my first published novel.
- Away from writing, I enjoy watching movies/sports, reading, travelling, listening to music and playing bingo. I have lived on the south coast of England for over 30 years and currently reside in Portsmouth.
Contact the author at: marradford@talktalk.net
Featured In:
Ovingdean Hall School - Spring 2006 Newsletter
The Menieres Society - Spring 2006 issue of "Spin" magazine
Hearing Concern - Spring 2006 magazine
Hampshire Deaf Association - November 2007 Newsletter
Portsmouth City Council Libraries website 'The Book Case' - Author Profile