The Matoke Tree

Please find attached on this private page, the synopsis and first three chapters of my novel, The Matoke Tree, for your consideration. The manuscript is complete and totals 138,000 words.

Set between Uganda and Scotland, The Matoke Tree is a literary novel that explores themes of forbidden love, racial identity, religious oppression, adoption, and war. Although fictional, the story is deeply informed by my personal experience. My adopted brother — who was Ugandan and the same age as me — passed away in our twenties. Eighteen years later, I travelled to Uganda and miraculously found his biological family. That journey began while writing this book and ultimately shaped its emotional core.

I am the author of Starchild (The Story Plant, USA), a memoir based on that journey, currently being adapted into a documentary by BAFTA Award-winner Alex McCall. I've also worked extensively as a singer-songwriter, with music featured in television and film. My creative background has given me a deep understanding of narrative structure, voice, and character, and I bring those instincts fully into my fiction writing.

I'm based in Glasgow and am the founder of the Starchild Charity, which built a School for Creative Arts in Uganda in memory of my brother, and a centre for autism and disabilities in memory of my partner.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I hope you enjoy the materials and would be delighted to speak further.