I was born in Sheffield, moved to Leicester when I was two and West Kirby, on the Wirral, when I was five. I’m the eldest of four children. When I was sixteen, we moved to Colne, in Lancashire, where my dad still lives. I went to university in Nottingham. I liked the city so much I’ve stayed here ever since. I still have strong ties with Sheffield though: my sister, youngest brother and oldest friend all live there.
Since the publication of Nicked! in 1999, Belbin has written a string of short novels for ‘reluctant’ readers, often dealing with the same kind of edgy themes as his full-length work. Stray (2006) is about a girl gang and drug dealing, while Shouting at the Stars (2005) about the nervous breakdown of a disabled teenage singer/songwriter is one of many books that reflect Belbin’s interest in popular music.
