HELLO!
from Susan,
who may well be on board
a cruise ship right now
speaking on a subject
which makes her heart sing
She's a writer, publisher, theatre critic, academic and lifelong student. Her early career was spent in the legal profession, working in Scotland and in South East Asia, where she lived for over ten years.
Upon returning to the UK, after further study, her career took a different direction and she is now the director of an award-winning publishing company. She has written over forty books for adults and children.
She has worked as an onboard creative writing and drama tutor since 2018, which she finds fascinating. Watching people connect with each other in a quiet space, where they can be free to be creative is something which is often quite magical. A few of Susan's former cruise ship students have gone on to publish their own books
Example Subjects: Geographical
Scandinavian Vikings
Susan is obsessed with the stories of those ancient people who have come be known as Vikings. Fascinated by how our understanding of those wild Norse men and women of medieval times is always evolving, she is a constant student of this area of pre-history. She is on a mission to bring the stories of the ancients alive, and is always working on unusual and entertaining ways to achieve this
All Things Scottish
From the Highlands to the Lowlands, from the isles to the mainland, Susan loves to talk about Scotland. She's involved with the Edinburgh Fringe and Scottish Christmas theatre every year, and she travels round the country meeting clients and talking about books. She loves giving insights into the country's art, culture, history and mysteries.
South East Asia
Having lived in Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia, Susan has tales to tell and unusual insights into daily life in South East Asia. From the history of Manila to the feng shui of Hong Kong, she loves to talk about this part of the world, so dear to her.
The Caribbean
One of Susan's favourite areas of undergraduate study was done on the Lost Voices of the Caribbean. She has a fascination with the history of this region and how literature - published and unpublished - sheds light on stories which have, up until recently, gone unheard.
Example Subjects: General Interest
The History of Comedy
How lucky are we to have witnessed performances from some of the comedy greats? Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies, Victoria Wood, Billy Connolly ... pure magic. However, there is more to their skills than meets the eye. Susan loves to explore the history and the artistry behind some of the performances which have made us laugh til we cry.
Great Speeches
Throughout history, great orators have made great speeches which have moved people to action and brought about change in our world. Susan has tried to bring some of these together in talks which remember and celebrate how the words of these speeches echo throughout the ages.
For the Love of Poetry
Whether we're aware of it or not, poetry surrounds us each and every day - it's not just confined to the pages of dusty old library books which are only read on high days and holidays. Poetry sells to us, it's read on our special days, it often features large in our lives. Susan loves to try and bring poetry alive in the most unexpected of ways.
Storytelling Songs
The powerful combination of melody and message can move us to tears. Susan just loves to share how songs have been crafted throughout the years to convey meaning and stir the emotions. Throughout the years, songs have even been crafted to motivate us towards activism and change. A beautiful thing indeed.
