I am an author, historian, psychologist, and academic.
I have just retired (ill health) as an academic from the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham. I was also a Docent at the University of Helsinki.
My latest book, Applied Narrative Psychology, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2023. It is the final part of an academic trilogy. The first part was Memory, War and Trauma,(Cambridge, 2010), the second part was Landscapes of Trauma (Routledge, 2019). Together they reflect my research into traumatic stress and narrative over the years.
Until recently I was a visiting professor at Wrexham University, but the university, which which failed to acknowledge the importance of free speech, sacked me because I presented evidenced views that conflicted with those of the university – even though I presented evidence for my views. It did not even allow me to argue my position before taking action against me, all because a few bigots had complained about my presenting these views on social media. It is very worrying that freedom of speech is limited at the University of Wrexham. I would certainly not recommend anyone to have a relationship with Wrexham University if they want to have the freedom to express themselves. If Wrexham had been my main employer, I would certainly have had a case for unfair dismissal. The story hit the headlines. When it did, my employer, the University of Nottingham, was very supportive, clearly recognising that free speech is a critical element of what it is to be an academic.