I'm a writer/journalist and some other things - musician/songwriter, comedy writer and sometime stand-up, and academic. I've been on TV and radio a lot, and I co-founded a pioneering internet broadcaster. Below is a summary. Click on the links above for detail, examples, and music.
JOURNALISM
I'm a specialist arts journalist, particularly for The Independent, but with credits in many other publications, eg The Times, The Mirror, Time Out and Bike. I created and co-wrote the popular weekly Beginners' Guide column in The Times (it lives on at www.thebeginners.net). I have also written regular columns about the environment (I created the first national daily column on green issues), technology, and space. I created and scripted ITV Teletext's daily kids' cartoon strip, where I was an editor. I've also edited several magazines, print and digital.
I lecture at the University of Greenwich, where I have led the university's Journalism Programme, and where I have created several courses.
COMEDY/SCRIPTWRITING
I've penned countless jokes and sketches for radio and TV (eg Rory Bremner), and I wrote the play Death of a Comedian. I've been a stand-up and impro comedian. I have run sketch and impro performance groups. I manage and co-write The Beginners' Guide website.
TV & RADIO
I've been a regular on The Wright Stuff, and appeared on Channel 5 News, Breakfast, Sky News, The Lorraine Kelly Show, Simon Fanshawe Show, Richard Littlejohn Show, and Stand-Up Live, as well as presenting my own science strand on both BBC and commercial radio.
MUSIC
I write and perform. My current (garage-rock) band is Mercury Heart, whose debut album Heart Attack: Live at Oslo is available on iTunes and Spotify, and as physical CD at www.mercuryheart.com. My older, more melodic, solo album is Tell the Truth (iTunes, Spotify).
