I'm a writer, a journalist, an occasional (these days) broadcaster from Sussex in England. I’ve been a foreign correspondent (fantastic fun), lived on a boat, played in bands, got up to all sorts of crazy shit for which I probably should have been arrested but either through being smart or plain lucky managed not to and generally had a good time.
These days I have a communications agency which is what makes me a living. I live in a beautiful house out in the sticks but like to spread my wings and hang out in cool cities, enjoy the ambience, the food, the culture… I am a big fan of airbnb – way better than booking a hotel.
One of the things I really like about journalism is the way it brings you into contact with the widest group of people imaginable, especially when working abroad. It probably reflects my attitude towards people. My relationships are coloured by interests and personality rather than background. I made a lot of friends while working in SE Asia and our shared interests always seemed to bridge any differences.
I enjoy reading immensely – I think many writers are avid consumers of the written word. It’s almost a prerequisite. I’m quite bookish. I love ideas. However I find intellectual snobbery pretty offputting. I think almost everyone I’ve met has been able to teach me something – even my seven year old who was adamant that zero is an even number (he was right as it happens, though I argued that zero isn’t a number because it denotes the absence of number – he likes maths, I read philosophy). His mother and I have been separated for six years now but I’m very hands on. It’s occasionally fraught but we generally work things out eventually.
Goals wise I’m not very materialistic but I am fortunate. I like to have fun and new experiences but my tastes are pretty down to earth. And I like to feel I make a difference.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Simple really - I like travelling and I like meeting people, but in particular I have a master plan to go away six times a year and take a few days out to write. At this point in time (April 2015) I'm doing an edit on a children's book for a publisher and trying to write a second adult novel (the first is finished but looking for an agent).
When I travel as a journalist I always have a ready made excuse to meet people. That's great because it allows me to really inhabit the places I go. However it's harder to meet people travelling if you don't arrange things so that it's part of your being there.
I'm looking for cool creative hosts who like having col creative people around.
By the same token I'm happy to host fellow creatives and other interesting people. 'I play guitar a bit and I need somewhere to stay' it may not, of itself, be quite enough to persuade me but if you live for whatever it is you do and that's something interesting then please come stay.

Interests

Writing, the world, music, food, people....

• writing
• books
• dining
• cooking
• baking
• boating
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• guitar
• communications
• journalism
• mathematics

Music, Movies, and Books

Gawd...
Withnail and I, Easy Rider, Night on Earth, Bunuel, Almodovar, Nouvelle vague, blah blah, lots... I also like old British films; Whisky Galore, Passport to Pimlico, I'm Alright Jack! plus classics like Bullitt etc etc

Tales from the City, Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Paine a political life... swathes of biography, beat, countercultural, Austen, Fitzgerald, I have more books than I have space. I find boxes of books I'd forgotten I had... I've also done OKC book experiments since a lot of my high matches have similar and interesting taste. I got quite a few to recommend me three books from which I'd choose and buy one. As a result I finally read Slaughterhouse 5 (magisterial), discovered Murakami (impressed), Neil Gaiman (uncannily like reading myself). I write, therefore I read... I read, therefore I write. Lots.

Five Leaves Left, Stand Up, Liege and Lief...oodles of rock, blues and folk - Richard Thompson, Radiohead, Tull, Zeppelin, John Martyn, Bert Jansch. Lately loads of good jazz; Davis, Coltrane, Monk... even early music like Tallis and Allegri. I'm a musician - I like great musicians.

Lists are a bit of a bore though - treat this as a taster

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spent five and something years trucking around SE Asia as a foreign correspondent for the BBC, NPR, Newsweek and others meeting all sorts, getting into the odd scrape, becoming (very briefly) public enemy number one, having a blast.

Teach, Learn, Share

You want help with your writing, making radio programmes, baking a great sourdough loaf, guitar...?

What I Can Share with Hosts

Lots of stories, inspiration, laughter and cooking... for a start

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Malaysia, United Kingdom