About Nigel Oakley
I was born in the 1960s, which means I am too young to remember them.
Educated in Shrewsbury, I then moved away: and, in the late 1980s, ended up thousands of miles from home in Botswana, where I taught Maths for three years. Those three years have inspired me with subject matter for several fiction short stories (see Blog page). After I had returned from Africa, I continued travelling – whether the Black Forest in Germany, Prague, or even the Trans-Siberian Railway – and writing. Academically, I completed my PhD at Durham University in 2007.
My first published poem appeared when I was eight. In the 1980s and 90s, several other poems were also published in anthologies. In the twenty-first century, I have moved to essays, short stories and novels. I got into novels due to a question from my son (who was about seven at the time): ‘Daddy, who was the Page?’ I had just watched my sons sing at the school Christmas concert; which included ‘Good King Wenceslas.’ However, I could not answer the question and information (in English anyway) is limited; so, over the years, I filled in the gaps, and my novel Podevin (that’s the young man’s name) tells of his adventures as he comes of age in Wenceslas’s court – and what happens after Wenceslas is assassinated by his brother.
In the meantime, apart from lots of short stories, I have worked on other novels. One of which is a coming-of-age tale about a bullied and sexually abused young man who has to work out who he is, and learn to accept that, before he can begin to help others. Another is a historical novel set in 1670s Jamaica, where not all slaves were black. Updates to the progress of both these novels will appear in the blog.
Other events, other situations, have inspired other stories and novels. The short stories, some of which have been read for the Lichfield Cathedral Digest (a listening magazine for those who prefer the spoken word to the written word), will appear here where I will also provide updates on news about my novels.