Shirley-Anne Emerson

I was born in Wallsend in 1970. The daughter of a Nigerian Marine engineer and a local girl. I was adopted at 5 months old. I grew up in a multi-cultural family of fostered and adopted brothers and sisters and a menagerie of stray animals; cats, dogs, bantam hens, hedgehogs, rabbits and one aggressive Turkey jock.

I spent most of my adult life trying to avoid doing what I desired more than anything - which is to say writing. Distraction techniques involved sojourns into the modelling world, becoming a croupier, and a successful 10-year career in Retail management.

When I had my children I gave up 9-5ing and decided any spare time I had I would divide between work in the community - where I worked with post-natally depressed mothers and refugees and developing my writing skills.

I have remained part of a supportive local writing group for nearly 2 yrs and have recently spread my wings to join the 'Writing from Inside Out' group held at the Joseph Cowan building at Newcastle University.

I am yet to be published. But have recently performed my work at an evening of poetry and prose held at the Lit and Phil, in Newcastle. I am currently researching the Sex Slave Trade for a novel.