About

David Cundall
david-cundall

I’ve lived in Chapel Allerton for over three decades. My work as a community paediatrician gave many insights into the lives of others but left no time for creative writing. I also worked in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria.  An inspiring evening class with Matthew Bellwood  led on to the Leeds Writers Circle,  whose members give honest, encouraging feedback as you might expect in Yorkshire.

My short story ‘Signs and Wonders’ was published in the Remembering Oluwale Anthology which won the Saboteur Award for Best Anthology 2017. David Oluwale’s story has cast a long shadow over Leeds, but the determination to remember him and to learn from his dreadful experience is a force for good in our city. My story, ‘After Farsley’ was included in An Open Door published by Comma Press 2019 from the Leeds short story course, led by SJ Bradley.

Yetunde’s House, my debut novel is, like Yetunde’s African lodgers, looking for a home. It was shortlisted for the Cinnamon Press debut novel competition 2017. My second novel Not Letting Go: a beginner’s guide is simmering away on the back-burner while I work on my next book On Thin Ground, a prequel to Not Letting Go.

In October 2021, I started an MA in History with the University of Leeds, researching the Leeds Preventorium at The Hollies in Weetwood, where children at risk of TB were sent for fresh air, good food and education. I will have less time for creative writing while I delve into this local history.

I am coordinator of the Nigeria Health Care Project. I’m married to Pam. We have four grown-up children and eight grandchildren. We volunteer with Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network.

My bloglet is currently dormant but if you click on Previous Pangolins at the top of this page you will find all of them, ready to be unrolled and enjoyed.

I ‘met’ some lovely writers and other characters on Twitter, but its acquisition by Elon Musk has led to me deleting my account so the little bird in the corner of this page is now redundant. I can be found at davidcundallwrites@gmail.com

‘…using just the one relatively brief scene to convey so much story and characterization with such subtlety and assurance…’

Martyn Bedford, commenting on After Farsley, January 2019