At 1,160 words it is a very slight short story. It evokes a special morning in the life of a schoolboy in Belgium in the 1960s. And yet its publication feels like a milestone to me. This is the first time I have published fiction since I was peddling stencilled poetry, way back in the 1970s. The years in between have been filled with writing annual reports, policy papers and guidelines. The world of stakeholder management, deliverables and competitive tendering. Benevolent in its vision but orwellian in its language. At the start of this year I decided to become a full-time writer. The great ‘tendering’ of looking back in, reconnecting with people, emotions and the past. An indie author – break out the quinoa, I am coming home!

This story is inspired by my school days. I hope you enjoy it. More writing is on its way: I have just completed the first draft of Resilience, my first novel. It is set in Melbourne at the time of the Black Saturday bushfires, Thematically, it draws heavily on my experience in working in academia, in child protection and in public mental health services – but without being autobiographical. My focus is upon how easily service provision becomes unstuck, often with grave consequences.

But for now First Snow should get its place in the sun…

Check out the First Snow page on this blog. It provides direct links to all retail sites where you can check out, and hopefully buy, First Snow.

Thank you for your time and your support!