Members Bios

Andrew Ockwell,
The author worked in advertising when ad budgets were big but the lunches were bigger. He still has his old Aston Martin in the garage to prove it, though in its present, disused, state, it is technically a ‘barn find’.

Cathy Roberts,

Charlie Hart,

David V West,
David West graduated in engineering science from the University of Oxford. During a career in engineering and project management he was commissioned by Gower Publishing (now Taylor Francis) to write a book on Project Sponsorship. He caught the writing bug and completed the Open University creative writing and advanced creative writing courses.

He found his subject whilst reading a biography of Sir Francis Drake. Sir Anthony Standen had been Walsingham’s key spy feeding him detailed information on the preparation of the Spanish Armada. Standen was David’s mother’s maiden name. He read everything he could find about Standen and traced his family tree to discover that Anthony was the elder brother of his 10th great-grandfather, Edmund.

The Spy who Sank the Armada is a fictionalised biography of Standen, plotting a course between the known events of Standen’s remarkable life, whilst trying to answer the why did he do that, and how did he do that questions. The subsequent books are historical crime fiction stories featuring Sir Anthony, and increasingly, his fictional children.

Grant White,

Harry Miller,

Ian Hedges
Ian is wonderfully confident that an aspiring writer lurks under the skin; and the “Hats” of the impending novel are continuing to work their magic as the pencil scribes away.

Jac Forsyth,
Jac Forsyth is a liminal writer from Melksham. Her writing is often categorised as sci-fi because we all appreciate a designated shelf, prepare to be wildly disappointed at the lack of subspace physics.

Jade Walker,

Jeff Phelps,
Jeff Phelps is the co-founder, with Grant White, of Milktown Writers’ Group. His poems and stories have been widely anthologised and have appeared in magazines including Stand, The Rialto, Orbis and London Magazine. His poetry books Wolverhampton Madonna and Falling and Flying are published by Offa’s Press of Oswestry. His novels, Painter Man and Box of Tricks are published by Tindal Street Press. His poem, Old House, was nominated for a Forward Prize in March 2023. His short story, Hill Edge, was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize in 2025.

https//www.jeffphelps.co.uk
Facebook: Jeff Phelps


Jill Harrison,
Jill Harrison is a local poet who enjoys writing about coasts and hills and the people who live or have lived close to them.
She lives in Bradford on Avon and has an MA in Creative and Life Writing from London Goldsmiths.

Joseph O’Driscoll,
Joseph O'Driscoll is a writer of short stories and poetry. He is a BA and MA graduate of Falmouth University and is working on his first novel.

Michele Rutland,

Phil,

Sue Lander,
Susan Lander worked as a nurse before turning her attention, perhaps inevitably, to writing. She is certain that nursing is much easier than writing. Patients, unlike her characters, at least largely try to behave themselves. She lives in Wiltshire with her long-suffering husband, whose unique skills include a First-Class Honours in camouflage when she appears waving a new story, and their two delinquent cats, Tigger and Midnight.

Sue Thompson,

Tracy Bailey,

Vicky Lloyd-West,
Vicky writes poetry and short stories. She is often inspired by little-known people from history and loves a tale with a twist.