About Me

Tom Fowdy is a British writer and journalist.

Coming from humble roots in Sunderland, North East England he has an academic interest in the politics and affairs of East Asia, where he has primarily focused on China, North Korea & South Korea. He recently graduated from Oxford University’s China Studies Program. Previously, he has lived in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Australia. In his spare time, he enjoys football, film, music, long distance walking, writing and travel.

In his work Fowdy endeavors to keep an open and objective view of the world, even if that means challenging conventional understandings of things or questioning things people do not want to question. He believe through sincere effort, hard work and determination, we are always capable of overcoming challenges and disadvantages in life and discovering our true potential.

Education

September 2025-: Nottingham University, English MA (Ongoing, Part-time)

2017-2018: Oxford University, Chinese Studies Msc.

2015-2016: University of Hong Kong, Exchange Student (Social Sciences)

2013-2017: Durham University: Politics B.A Honours with Year Abroad (First Class)

Practical Skills

Marketing, social media strategy, search engine optimisation (SEO), business development, research, analysis, blogging, news reporting, creative writing, film production (screenwriting, costume design, production management).

Languages

• Mandarin Chinese: Started learning formally in 2014 with courses taken in Durham, Hong Kong, Shanghai, an online course hosted by Peking University, and backed up by long-term, sustained experience of usage. Further supplemented by skill of learning applications Han Characters across multiple languages.
• Korean: Passed TOPIK level 2 in 2021 for visa purposes. Years of applied experience and exposure to native speakers.
• Japanese: First started learning formally in 2014-2015 at Durham University, which was then added to with a one month course in Sapporo (2016). I have visited Japan over eight times in a decade and through wider Han character learning have an ability to decipher meanings of a wide range of Kanji text without necessarily knowing how to speak it.
• Cantonese: Dedicated myself to two beginner courses of it in 2024. One hosted by a London based tutor, the other an online course by the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
• Old Norse: Absolute beginner. Started learning in 2026 as part of the Nottingham MA course. This is the first “Ancient” language I have undertaken, as well as Germanic one since school.

Publications

x2 novels under pen name.

x3 short-films produced and directed under pen name