ABOUT DAVE

Biography

Born in West London, Dave Sivers left school at 16 to start a successful Civil Service career, which took him to such far-flung places as Newport, Rhode Island, Northern Norway and Sutton Coldfield.  He has moonlighted as a bookmaker's clerk, a nightclub bouncer and a freelance writer and also gained a First Class Honours degree from the Open University.  Since taking early retirement, he divides his time between writing and a number of public service roles.

Dave has been writing ever since he knew how to hold a pen.  He started and ran a school newspaper at primary school and wrote features and stories for his grammar school’s magazine.  His first piece of published work was a letter in The Economist.

He has gone on to obtain writing success with magazine fiction (writing for women’s magazines as Melanie Blake), short story competitions, and freelance journalism.  He has written articles for a wide range of publications, including a series on True Crime in Buckinghamshire for The Four Shires magazine, and he has regular columns in two newspapers, The Bucks Herald and The Leighton Buzzard Observer.  He won a local prize in Chiltern Writers Group’s Open Competition and was shortlisted for a Writers’ News short story competition.

Dave has written extensively for the stage, including successful collaborations on two comedy plays - Recipe for Disaster and Dancing on the Forecourt - and has worked with a partner on TV game show formats and sketch material, selling material at home and abroad.  He co-wrote the pilot for a sitcom, Mann's World, which progressed to the latter stages of BBC's Fresh Talent Competition.  He also runs creative writing workshops and courses.

Dave has written several novels, mostly horror and fantasy.  His two most recent “crime fantasy” novels (A Sorcerer Slain and Inquisitor Royal), featuring the Personal Inquisitor Lowmar Dashiel, received encouraging responses from the publishing industry and he has now turned to real-world crime.  His debut crime novel, Walk in the Night, is set in the Chilterns, where he now lives, and features local journalist Claire King.  A  dark thriller, Savage Road, is nearing completion.

Dave moved to Hemel Hempstead when he married his wife, Chris, and the couple now live in a small village in Buckinghamshire where they are involved in a number of local activities. Dave is a school governor, an occasional campaigner on local issues, and was Master of Ceremonies at the last village fete.

His other interests include travel, watching his beloved football team, Queen’s Park Rangers, playing guitar, local theatre (directing and appearing), listening to music, cinema, theatre and walking in the Chilterns.

Writing CV:

Journalism

Weekly columns

The Bucks Herald

The Leighton Buzzard Observer

Articles

The Four Shires (True Crime in Buckinghamshire series)

Buckinghamshire Countryside

Buckinghamshire Limited Edition

Defence Management Journal

Writers' News

Short Stories

Take a Break

Chiltern Writers Group Open Competition (Local Prizewinner)

Writers News ‘Mistaken Identity’ Competition (Shortlisted)

Chiltern Writers 20th Anniversary Anthology

TV Material

Jaques Vermier Show*

The Block on the Dock*

Mann's World (sitcom pilot - reached latter stages of BBC Fresh Talent competition)*

Stage Material

Plays - Recipe for Disaster* and Dancing on the Forecourt*

Countless short plays and sketches for amateur groups

 * indicates co-writing ventures