The Matoke Tree

Thank you for visiting this private page, created to share materials related to my novel The Matoke Tree.

While a work of fiction, The Matoke Tree is deeply rooted in emotional truth. It began as an imagined story about belonging and transgenerational silence — but in writing it, fiction and lived experience began to mirror one another in unexpected ways.

The Matoke Tree ultimately led me to Uganda, where I found the biological family of my adopted brother — eighteen years after his death. That journey now forms the heart of Starchild: A Memoir of Adoption, Race and Family, which was published by The Story Plant (USA) with worldwide distribution and is currently being adapted into a documentary directed by BAFTA Award-winner Alex McCall.

Although The Matoke Tree and Starchild differ in form — one a novel, the other a memoir — they are intimately linked. Each explores themes of race, identity, secrecy, and the enduring human search for connection. One illuminates the other.

As a multidisciplinary artist, I've released three albums, performed internationally — including two private performances for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II — and founded the Starchild Charity, which built a School for Creative Arts in Uganda in memory of my brother, and a holistic centre for autism and disabilities in memory of my partner.

Below you'll find the novel's synopsis, sample chapters, and additional background materials. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you'd prefer these in another format, or if you'd like to continue the conversation.