I always felt that sci-fi and fantasy were my thing. Bit of a geek, Im afraid. But I like creating worlds, and I felt it was a genre that gave me more freedom. It just seemed like I belonged there.

I fell even more deeply in love with Tolkiens legendarium after studying Old English literature at uni, as I got a sense of the historical events and cultures that Tolkien used to create his world. My favourite of his imaginary locations is Lothlorien.

I'm often daydreaming and it's because I've always liked the idea of there being something more than the normal world.

There are certain things in life that you never forget. Things that dig deep, things that nest in the hadal zone.

his thumbs ran over my cheeks. Our foreheads touched. My dreamscape scorched. He set fire to the poppies

I was born in 1991, and Harry Potter came out in 97, so, you know, I was really obsessed. I used to read them in one night.

They'd branded me like some kind of animal. Lower than an animal. A number.