text: Jess Richards was born in Wales and raised in Scotland. She is the author of three literary fiction novels: Costa shortlisted Snake Ropes, Cooking with Bones and City of Circles (Sceptre). She also writes creative nonfiction, vispo, short fiction and poetry which have been published in various anthologies. Her fine art / creative writing PhD project, Illusions, Transformations, and Iterations; storytelling as fiction, image, and artefact, earned her a place on the Dean’s List at Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand. Birds and Ghosts is a book-length work of creative nonfiction written when New Zealand borders were closed due to Covid-19. In October 2022 Jess, her wife, and two stripy cats returned to live in the UK. They now live in Yorkshire where Jess works at the University of Leeds.