Paedophile Hunters

Richard was born in Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England in 1970 and spent a reasonably pleasant but unremarkable childhood just up the A19 in Hartlepool. After establishing a career in journalism, which included producing and directing news bulletins for BBC World Service Television, he decided to give it all up for social work. Two years in Sunderland Youth Offending Service were followed by four years at an emergency access hostel for homeless 16 to 21 year-olds in Newcastle. Both of these settings were the inspiration behind his first book 'Kicked Out', which was published in 2009 by Beautiful Books and became Waterstone's Recommended Read and Borders Book of the Month.

He worked for seven years as the Writer in Residence at a maximum security prison in North-East England, where he also researched adn created 'The Truth About Prison', described as “different to any other book on prison. Compelling and quite breath-taking in its scope of insights, giving a voice to the only people that really know” by Erwin James, a journalist, author and ex prisoner who really does know. Other occupations have included fish gutting and washing up in Crete, trying to sell Wrangler jeans when everyone wanted to buy Levis, supporting young people with learning disabilities, working in fruit orchards in the Golan Heights, producing bus rotas for a transport company in Hartlepool and working for MI6.

He's a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and believes creative writing can have a profound therapeutic impact as well as being a powerful tool for self discovery. His second book 'Andalucía' was born from the shock and anger of his wife Anna being diagnosed with breast cancer, and was written because at one point he thought it would be all he and his young children would be left with. Booker Prize winner Pat Barker said 'Andalucia' was "told with courage, humour, love and great skill....both moving and inspiring."

As well as writing, Richard now works with homeless young people. He lives in Northumberland, North-East England, with his family.