Colette Snowden was born and raised in Manchester and studied medieval history in St Andrews and Bordeaux. After spending a year in Bulgaria teaching English, she returned to Manchester and began a career in public relations, developing her writing skills with feature articles and press releases for trade and technical magazines. She also began writing poetry and short stories, performing at poetry slams and open mic nights in the city and joining a writing group.

Colette’s short story Blue was broadcast on Radio 4 in 2002 and her first child was born soon afterwards, at which point she stopped writing fiction for several years.

She began writing again to enter a First Three Chapters competition with Manchester-based writer development organisation, Commonword. She won the competition and completed the novel, which became The Secret to Not Drowning. Colette lives in Manchester with her three children and works as a freelance PR and copywriter.

The Secret to Not Drowning (Bluemoose Books 2015)

Blue (Radio 4, 2002)

Book Reading, the Bookcase book shop Hebden Bridge (June 2015)

Wordpool Book Festival, Blackpool Libraries (July 2015)

Book Launch/reading Chapter One Book Shop, Manchester (17 September 2015)

New Writers showcase, Chorlton Book Festival launch night, Chorlton Library (17 October 2015)

Brave New Reads featured Author summer 2016 – this is a programme run by Norwich Writers Centre in Association with Libraries in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk where six books are chosen by readers.  It involved Workshops in Norwich and Cambridge and readings/Q&As in Norwich and Ely

Mumsnet Book of the Month November 2016

Live webchat on Mumsnet November 2017

World Book Day reading at Touchstones Rochdale in April 2016

Reading & Q&A with creative writing course students art Liverpool John Moores University in November 2016

Reading & Q&A with creative writing course students at York St John University  in March 2017

Reading & Q&A at Brighton Big City Reads Bluemoose Salon in March 2017

Panel member at First Story Event held by Leeds Beckett University to celebrate Inaugural National Writers’ Day June 2017

Kevin Duffy, Publisher, Bluemoose Books

Martin De Mello, New Writing Development Worker, Commonword

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English

North West