Sue is drawn to writing crime stories, though had a bit of a detour recently and wrote an episode of CALL THE MIDWIFE (series 13), which was a great experience.
She has written for SILENT WITNESS, and won the RTS (Yorkshire) Writer Award in 2022 for her ‘Bad Love’ episodes (series 24). Sue wrote a 90-min episode for the BBC Wales/S4C/BBC 4 crime series HINTERLAND, directed by Ed Thomas and produced by Gethin Scourfield & Ed Talfan. She has experience writing and researching true crime, having previously developed REASONABLE DOUBT with Duchess Street Productions.
Sue has written the TV pilot script AMY WINTER/Truth and Lies, based on best-selling author Caroline Mitchell’s first book of a series, for Dominion of Drama and Ruby Rock Pictures. She is adapting Nicola Monaghan’s Nottingham based crime novel DEAD FLOWERS as a TV project with Wellington Films.
Sue wrote the feature film script LOST GIRL, for producer Hamish McAlpine, and worked with director Heenan Bhatti scripting FIND LATIF for October Films.
Sue’s most recent short film as writer/director – MOTHER, MINE – played at over 80 film festivals and won 16 international awards, as well as being Highly Commended in the Turner Classics Shorts competition. MOTHER, MINE introduces the ‘Alison’ character from Sue’s spec thriller script HELLO MUM, which she is now writing as a crime novel. Her first novel CRAZY HORSE was published by Route, and was a finalist in The Peoples Book Prize, 2010.
“A stomping, snorting, bucking bronco of a first novel from a thoroughbred storyteller who is here to stay. Think Black Beauty updated by Sporty Spice” ~ Joseph O’Connor
“An excellent novel, witty, complex and full of insight. A joy to read” ~ Beryl Bainbridge
“Painted with verve, vigour and technical excellence” ~ Peter Tinniswood
Sue’s short story ‘Normal’ was shortlisted for the 2013 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, including ‘The Book of Leeds (Comma Press) and The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime (11).
After a Graphic Design degree, Sue worked as a children’s illustrator then took an MA in Scriptwriting at the Northern School of Film and Television. She won the Carl Foreman Award for Screenwriting, in association with BAFTA, and studied at film school in the US.
Way back in 1993 Sue’s story DUST won the Lynda La Plante “Humour” prize out of over 23,000 entries in ITV’s This Morning Short Story Competition, and much of her current work is still tinted with that same dark sense of humour.
