Project archive: Author websites
Our most recent projects are shown first
Joshua Levine
Joshua Levine is an author, social historian, and journalist with a passion for bringing the past to life. He’s written multiple bestselling books, and was the historical advisor behind major films like Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Steve McQueen’s Blitz. His book Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture hit Number 1 on the Sunday Times Bestseller List. With an unusually varied background, Joshua has also written and presented for radio and TV, earning a glowing reputation as a historical expert and storyteller – and we have created a site which reflects this wide range of experience.
“Simon’s knowledge and creativity are matched by an ability to respond to the client’s needs. He offers a superb service.”
Joshua Levine, storyteller, historian, and bestselling author
Robert Bryndza
New website for Robert Bryndza, a British-born, internationally bestselling crime author whose page-turning thrillers have captivated readers around the world.
Gloria Barnett
Gloria is a science presenter who conduct talks and school visits. She also writes exciting ocean-themed fiction for children, as well as informative non-fiction books.
“Simon is a superb person to work with. He is excellent – full of knowledge and useful comments. His advice was always spot on. He has lots of patience too, which helps when working with non-tech individual like me! My new website has had many great comments already. Thank you Simon – it’s been a pleasure to work with you.”
Gloria Barnett, award-winning author, educator, science presenter
Michael Cordy
Michael Cordy writes stories about what could happen tomorrow to make sense of what is happening today. We created a new website to support his return to publishing with Manhattan Down.
Reverend Penny Stephens
“Simon and the Bookswarm team were very helpful and efficient with setting up my author website, listening carefully to my ideas and concerns, and doing a great job with creating it. I have found the whole process surprisingly straightforward, with their care and help. Thank you!”
Reverend Penny Stephens, author of Till Death us do Part
Clare Furniss Mk2
New microsite for bestselling YA author Clare Furniss, replacing her previous Bookswarm-designed website. The new look-and-feel is designed to appeal to both adult and Young Adult readerships.
Amy Arnold
New website for award-winning novelist and experienced creative writing tutor and mentor Amy Arnold.
“I love the website Bookswarm has created. How Simon understood so perfectly what I was after (when I didn’t) is beyond me! A stress-free and surprisingly enjoyable experience all round. I can’t recommend them enough.”
Amy Arnold, writer and coach
Kelly Scarborough
Kelly Scarborough writes historical novels about fascinating women who lived in challenging times. Her first novel, set in the Swedish royal court, will be published in 2026.
Tony Heck
New York-based novelist Tony Heck recently published his first novel, Tribulations.
“Initially struggling to make a website on my own, I am elated at the final website I have to represent me as an author. Simon is professional, prompt, and polite, working collaboratively to build a website that you want. Highly recommended.”
Tony Heck, author of Tribulations
Sharon Bolton
Sharon (formerly SJ) Bolton grew up in a cotton-mill town in Lancashire and had a varied early career in marketing and public relations. She gave it up to become a mother and a writer.
Her first novel, Sacrifice, was voted Best New Read by Amazon.uk, whilst her second, Awakening, won the 2010 Mary Higgins Clark award. In 2014, Lost, (UK title, Like This, For Ever) was named RT Magazine’s Best Contemporary Thriller in the US, and in France, Now You See Me won the Plume de Bronze. That same year, Sharon was awarded the CWA Dagger in the Library. She has been shortlisted for the CWA gold and steel daggers.
“I’m a total technophobe, but Simon made the process of building my new website entirely stress free. Bookswarm have a lot of experience setting up authors’ websites and it shows. I’m delighted with the look of my new site and with how easy it will be to maintain in the future.”
Sharon Bolton, Sunday Times Bestselling Author
The Society Project
This Sociery Project is an open space for all concerned with fairness and economic justice to assert a political will demanding change, for policies and an economy inherently serving society’s best interest, delivering a lower cost of living, generating ethical activity and profits for our collective benefit. It was created by Peter Ellis, author of The Accidental Societist.
Fiona Erskine
Website for engineer-turned-author Fiona Erskine, showcasing a mixture of traditionally and independently published titles.
“I’m delighted with my new author website and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Bookswarm.
The things that particularly impressed me were
- Planning – Simon took a lot of time and care to establish exactly what I needed (as well as the bells and whistles I fancied), but he didn’t complain (or charge me more) when I made late additions to requirements. He’s experienced in the publishing world, and made some excellent suggestions and challenges.
- Smooth transition – The information on my old home-made website was transferred to the new and we have a period of transition to decide what to hide and what new material was required. I never felt rushed and could work on content at my own pace without having to worry about the magic that makes everything work underneath.
- Ongoing support – this is a team, not a one man band, so there is always someone on hand to help resolve issues.
If you’re in need of a new website or considering an upgrade to your old one, then I heartily recommend a chat with Simon.”
Fiona Erskine, crime novelist
James Verini
James Verini is a features writer at The New York Times Magazine, specializing in the coverage of war and conflict, and the author of They Will Have to Die Now: Mosul and the Fall of the Caliphate. His journalism has also appeared in National Geographic Magazine, The New Yorker, Foreign Policy, and elsewhere.
We created a new website to streamline the management of James’ database of articles
“I could not have asked for a finer designer than Simon, and cannot recommend him highly enough. In a short matter of days, he completely revamped my website to my exact specifications, and he did so at far less cost than what other designers would have charged. He is inventive, responsive, and endlessly helpful.”
James Verini, magazine journalist and book author
Hugo de Burgh
Hugo de Burgh writes books about survival in chaotic times. After a long career involving many traditionally-published books, Hugo is now independently publishing both a novel and a non-fiction exploring the future of Britain in the Age of Asia; this required a new digital presence to promote the books and act as a digital hub.
“As a novice I was very dependent on Simon Appleby to take me through the creation and operation of a website point by point. He was clear in instruction, efficient in execution and immediately responsive to all my requests for help. I am confident that his support will continue as I gradually acquire the skills needed to improve my use the website. The initial design was his, and I like it very much.”
Hugo de Burgh, professor, novelist
Paul Adam
Paul Adam is the author of thirteen critically-acclaimed novels for adults and the award-winning Max Cassidy Trilogy of thrillers for children, featuring a dare-devil teenage escapologist.
“I’m delighted with the site. I think it’s terrific. Really clean, clear, attractive, modern and easy to use. Perfect for authors.”
Paul Adam, author
Stephen Collier
Website for former policeman-turned-author and screenwriter Stephen Collier.
“I had been looking for a website designer, specific to writers and authors. Up until this time I had built my own websites with varying degrees of success.
Then I found Bookswarm and Simon Appleby. After a conversation we seemed a good fit and the price was not as extortionate as some website designers.
Simon and his team produced an amazing site – professional looking and a professional team that provided just what I needed. Thank you Simon and your team.”
Stephen Collier, crime writer for page and screen
Kieron O’Hara
A new website for Kieron O’Hara, a writer and philosopher. For 30 years Kieron has been an academic in the UK, first at the School of Psychology at the University of Nottingham, and then in Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton, where he is now an emeritus fellow.
“It’s been great working with Simon and Bookswarm to get my personal author’s website up and running. He’s got the technical expertise to get everything working, the administrative knowledge to ensure that the site meets all the important legal criteria, the aesthetic skills to get it looking attractive, and the patience needed to train me how to upload and edit content. He’s also quick to respond to cries for help.”
Kieron O’Hara, author, computer scientist and philosopher
David Almond
David Almond is the highly acclaimed author of Skellig, The Savage, Clay, My Name Is Mina, My Dad’s a Birdman, Slog’s Dad and many other novels.
Anna Kemp
Anna writes picture books and fantasy stories for anyone who likes adventure, magic and some laughs along the way. We created this new site to replace her old Wix site, and allow a separately branded section for her new middle-grade series, The Goblyn Wood Adventures.
“I am absolutely thrilled with the website that Simon designed for me. I didn’t really know what I wanted or needed from a website but Simon’s expertise in creating sites for authors lit the way. The process was smooth and speedy and Simon was always available to answer any questions. I now have a site that is bursting with content, easy to navigate and looks beautiful. Most importantly for me it is wonderfully easy to maintain and update. I feel confident using it but it is also great to know that Simon can help me out if I get stuck. I’m already seeing the benefits of a more polished website in increasing numbers of requests for school visits and events. I can’t recommend Bookswarm highly enough. Thank you Simon!”
Anna Kemp, children’s author
Lucienne Boyce
Lucienne Boyce is a historical novelist, biographer, and historian. She was already a WordPress user, and our aim with this project was to keep the best elements of her old site, while creating a better-defined structure, and migrating the separate blog from Blogspot into the site, to increase the amount of search-engine friendly content and allow readers to find all her content in one place.
“I enjoyed working with Simon on the website. I was impressed by his patience answering any questions I had, and also by the way he was able to make suggestions that we could then discuss and tweak so that the website would meet my requirements. I’m really pleased with the end result.”
Lucienne Boyce, author
Chris Smaje
Chris Smaje has coworked a small farm in Somerset, southwest England, for the last twenty years. Previously, he was a university-based social scientist, working in the Department of Sociology at the University of Surrey and the Department of Anthropology at Goldsmiths College. Since switching focus to the practice and politics of agroecology, he’s written for publications such as The Land, Dark Mountain, Permaculture magazine and Statistics Views, as well as academic journals such as Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems and the Journal of Consumer Culture.
Chris is the author of two books with Chelsea Green, and a very popular blog – when designing a new version of his site, we focused on retaining the ‘old school’ blog feel, and showcasing the high level of engagement by readers in the Comments section, alongside all the trappings of a modern author website.
“I’ve been very happy with Bookswarm’s services. Approachable, good listening to get the brief right, technically competent, and promptly responsive to support requests – all first rate. I’d recommend them unreservedly to other writers.”
Chris Smaje, author
Reading Riddle
Reading Riddle is the home of Kate Cunningham, author of books for children and Young Adults, including the A Flea In History series, featuring Vlad Flea. Kate also specialises in school visits, encouraging children to learn about history through Vlad’s adventures.
The books are illustrated by Kate’s son, Sam Cunningham, and we make liberal use of his drawings in the site design.
“When I reached out to Simon about creating my new website I had two sites that had evolved in random and confusing ways, and I had absolutely no idea how to make sense of it all. Luckily Simon and his team did! I now have an amazing new site that I’m proud to shout about, and direct people to. I am still amazed every time I look at it, that a tangled mess could become such a thing of beauty. More than that, it made me consider what, and how, I communicate with my audiences and has really boosted the content and how I interconnect all the elements.”
Kate Cunningham, children’s author
Merryn Glover
Merryn Glover is an author and community gatherer who writes fiction, drama, poetry and non-fiction, with work widely published and broadcast on the BBC.
Merryn is also an experienced workshop leader, storyteller and project manager – so her new website needed to showcase all aspects of her publishing and wider work.
“I am absolutely thrilled with the beautiful website the Bookswarm team have created for me and am getting great feedback on it, too. Simon and Susie bring the highest technical and design skills, creating bespoke sites that reflect the writer’s personality, always working with utmost professionalism and customer support. I cannot recommend them highly enough.”
Merryn Glover, author and community gatherer
Dorothy Koomson (2023 relaunch)
A major redesign of our previous website for Dorothy, now incorporating an online shop as well as a fresh new look-and-feel.
Museum Bums
Based on the eponymous viral Twitter account, the book Museum Bums takes you on a whirlwind tour of the finest rear ends in museums around the world, divided into six categories of keisters. Heritage scholars and art educators Mark Small and Jack Shoulder pair illuminating social commentary and historical context and lively captions with more than 270 depictions of tasteful—and sometimes cheeky— bums in art. We created a website to support and promote the book, with plenty of bums on show!
“We were recommended Bookswarm for the Museum Bums website, and after looking at a few of his current sites we were confident Simon could provide what we needed. We were looking for a shop window for our products but also a space to expand on our online presence, share further insights into the world of Museum Bums, and advertise upcoming events.
Simon’s preliminary meetings and draft websites proved he knows what he’s talking about and we’re absolutely thrilled with the final product. While we’re not luddites we’re also not the most tech-y people, so another crucial part of Bookswarm’s service is the ongoing support once the website’s online. It’s very reassuring to know that if we break something, Bookswarm are on hand to put it back how it was!”
Mark Small and Jack Shoulder AKA The Museum Bums
Terri Potts-Chattaway
Terri Potts-Chattaway is a writer and TV producer with a new book project about the life of Star Trek composer, her husband Jay Chattaway.
“Simon has been a complete joy to work with. I am new to anything that has to do with websites, and he has been quite patient and has explained everything to me as we go along. I highly recommend him and his team.”
Terri Potts-Chattaway, author and blogger
Ripley Hayes
Ripley Hayes is an independent author, and the creator of the DI Daniel Owen series, set in Wales.
“Bookswarm made me a unicorn — a website that is easy for me to use. I’m a technologically challenged author so that’s kind of a big deal. The whole process was painless from start to finish.”
Ripley Hayes, crime author
Nick Black
Author website providing additional material and background for Nick Black’s debut novel, The Honourable Doctor.
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“Starting with no knowledge or experience of creating a website, Simon steadily and methodically guided me through the creation and establishment of my site. His straightforward, jargon-free and practical approach was perfect and I’m delighted with what we jointly created. I even feel confident about developing it further, especially knowing he is available for help and advice at the touch of a button.”
Nick Black, historical fiction author
Jamie Costello
Jamie Costello is the YA pen name of author and journalist Laura Wilson, and Monochrome is her first YA novel – necessitating a separate web presence from Laura’s existing website.
“Great ideas, excellent designs, and prompt, efficient service. Simon is great to work with – very patient, good at explaining things, and extremely helpful in dealing with follow-up questions.”
Laura Wilson, crime novelist and YA author
Cat Castellanos
Cat Castellanos is a writer. She has covered a variety of subjects, from Amazonian head shrinking to politics, brain health, Veteran’s Affairs and backcountry cooking. She has written for CNN, National Geographic Channel, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and Maria Shriver’s networks, among others. She is currently somewhere between her 4th and 50 bajillionth draft of her first novel, Noms de Plume.
“Loved working with Simon! Professional, creative, and went above and beyond!”
Cat Castellanos, author
Lizzie Lane
Lizzie Lane is a bestselling author of sagas, historical fiction and more – who also writes as Jean G Goodhind, Erica Brown and Jean Moran. We created her first website to showcase her extensive list of books, and allow her to start building a mailing list, as well as sharing news and snippets from the historical research that informs her writing.
“I wasn’t sure about having a website but Bookswarm came up trumps. I’m not that technical so need someone like them loitering in the background when I get lost. Brilliant!”
Jean Goodhind, historical romance and cosy crime author
Rob Starr
Rob Starr is an author living in Brighton & Hove. His new author website primarily promotes his debut novel, What The Tide Brings Back, with future books to come in a planned trilogy – but we also showcase his previous writing projects, including a non-fiction book, plays and musicals.
“Dear Simon
I wanted to just drop you a short line to say thank you for delivering my new author website .
As you know I was rather scared of starting this as not only is it a new career choice for me, but also the thought of a website and social media etc is well out of my comfort zone. I was therefore so happy to have been introduced to you as you made the whole process not only easy for me but also allowed me to be part of the entire process without having to be involved in the building of it. It really was a great experience for me and I not only have ended up with a fantastic website, but I feel like I understand how it works and what I need to do to progress in this new adventure. You really were a joy to work with on this.
Thanks so much
Rob Starr”
Rob Starr, author of What The Tide Brings Back
Escaping Maya’s Palace
A website for author Richard Sclove to act as the focal point for marketing and publicity of his new book Escaping Maya’s Palace:
A celebrated saga from ancient India tells of a young king who mysteriously shifts character and gambles away his kingdom. By unraveling this legend’s secret meaning, Escaping Maya’s Palace launches a sleuthing expedition into a distortion in psychological and spiritual growth that lies buried deep at the root of modern civilization. Today this undetected malady contributes to woes ranging from opioid addiction to social alienation, the rise of authoritarian populism, and environmental catastrophe.
Informed by long-lost wisdom from the Mahabharata, one of the great epics of world literature, award-winning author Richard Sclove explains how our civilization descended into this blighted condition. Integrating a missing psychological dimension into social theory and world history, this intellectually daring and engrossing work clears a path for remaking modern politics and economics, social movements, and daily life. This book’s profound insights offer renewed hope to a world in crisis.
“Simon is outstanding. He has excellent technical skills, responds extremely quickly to questions and requests, explains everything clearly, and is a pleasure to work with in every way.”
Richard Sclove, author of Escaping Maya’s Palace
Alice Oseman
Alice Oseman is an award-winning author, illustrator, and screenwriter, and was born in 1994 in Kent, England. She has written four YA contemporary novels about teenage disasters: SOLITAIRE, RADIO SILENCE, I WAS BORN FOR THIS, and LOVELESS. She is the creator of LGBTQ+ YA romance webcomic HEARTSTOPPER, which is now published in physical form by Hachette Children’s Books, and she is the writer, creator, and executive producer for the smash-hit television adaptation of HEARTSTOPPER.
“Working with Simon and the team at Bookswarm was an absolute dream. The whole process was smooth and professional. Simon is so experienced with author websites it meant we could skip past the basic needs and focus on the unique aspects we needed to appeal to our international audience, fan base and new readers alike. They had a real problem-solving attitude and were quick to respond to edits during a tight turnaround. We were also delighted with the look and design which perfectly matched our brand vision.”
Krissi Hill, Marketing Manager at Hachette Children’s Group
Janet Savin
Author website for Janet Savin, whose debut historical novel Music for Three in a Prelude to Revolution is set against the backdrop of revolution in Communist Prague.
“Simon Appleby designed my literary fiction website, and it’s gorgeous. It has the look I wanted, raised to several powers above my expectations. His work combines a high degree of technical expertise and creative intuition. His approach to working is clear and systematic, and he is equally professional in client relations. He patiently explains terminology and processes, and I never felt lost. His training session is brilliant and includes a recording for easy referral later and a built-in support system. I am not much at home in the digital world, have had difficulty with websites in the past and was dreading maintaining this one. But it’s a delight.”
Janet Savin, author
Fenella J Miller
“I have just had a new website designed by Simon Appleby of Bookswarm. Not only is the website exactly what I wanted, easy to negotiate and update, it was also a pleasure to work with Simon. I can’t recommend his company highly enough.”
Fenella J Miller, historical romance author
Geoffrey Roberts
Geoffrey Roberts is an historian, biographer, and political commentator. A renowned specialist in Russian and Soviet foreign and military policy and an expert on Stalin and the Second World War, his books have been translated into Chinese, Czech, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish and Turkish.
Michael Cowl Gordon
Michael Cowl Gordon is a specialist in addiction medicine since 1973, and author of forthcoming The Twelve Step Pathway – A Heroic Journey of Recovery.
“Simon is a pleasure to work with, and has a high level of tolerance for my high level of ignorance about IT.”
Michael Cowl Gordon, author of The Twelve Step Pathway – A Heroic Journey of Recovery
Colin Fletcher
Website for Colin Fletcher – author of historical adventures White Clyffe and King’s Mercy, and a forthcoming volume of non-fiction, Southern Waters. The design is inspired by the beautiful countryside of South Western England, where Colin’s books are set.
“The website, an essential tool for any author, will become the focus and anchor of your marketing drive.
I have found that Simon Appleby’s experience of specialist author websites after a background in book publishing, can be relied on to create an efficient website.
A nice man, helpful and accessible.”
Colin Fletcher, author
RA Williams
RA Williams is the author of the Gothic fiction trilogy The Gift, perfect for readers of Gothic and historical military fiction who don’t mind a good fright now and again. His new website is designed to be a digital representation of his writing desk.
“When my publisher informed me it was due time to establish an author webpage I was refereed to Bookswarm. And it was wise advice. Simon Appleby is top of the game. He understands authors and is well capable of capturing the spirit of them digitally.”
RA Williams, author of The Gift trilogy
David G Bailey
Author website for David G Bailey, author of YA fantasy novel Seventeen:
Sir Tristram will take seventeen to the match – how many will he bring back? He must reunite his Blood City teammates – Knights, Pirates and Westerners – to win the prestigious Seskie tournament against their oldest rivals. Penalty shoot-outs often end in tears. In Cibola they may end in a fight to the death. Behind the football match is a bigger power play, a king’s mission to bring down his greatest rival by persuasion, trickery or force. Needing a squad of soldiers as well as footballers, Sir Tristram must also find a place on tour and in his heart for the teenage child he has not addressed by name since infancy…
“I went to Simon at Bookswarm because of his track record and specialism in authors, finding him able and willing to incorporate special features into my website that would not have been available under other standardised packages. I was delighted with the look, feel and dynamism of the site he produced, as well as the training to operate it largely myself. For aspects beyond my capabilities his Ninja Support plugin does exactly what its name suggests, responding swiftly and efficiently to sort things out. I would wholeheartedly recommend Bookswarm to other authors.”
David G Bailey, author
Peter Fisk
A major design overhaul of Peter’s previous Bookswarm-designed website, reflecting a changed content focus, the increasing importance of blogging to Peter and the design language from his latest book, Business Recoded.
J.B. Turner
J.B. Turner is a thriller writer, best known for the Jon Reznick® series of novels. He is a former journalist. His next book, NO WAY BACK (Thomas & Mercer), will be published on 1 January 2022. He also wrote the American Ghost® series of political thrillers and the Deborah Jones® crime books.
“Simon was a delight to work with. His attention to detail and can-do attitude were very refreshing. Thrilled with the brand new website. Would highly-recommend to any authors looking to refresh their author websites.”
J.B. Turner, thriller writer
Madeleine Reiss
Madeleine Reiss is the author of Someone To Watch Over Me, This Last Kiss, Before We Say Goodbye and Live A Little – with a fifth book on the way. This is her first website, designed to showcase her books as well as her editorial services offering.
“Such a painless process and I felt supported all the way through.”
Madeleine Reiss, author
Abi Elphinstone
Abi Elphinstone writes adventure books filled with magic. From glow-in-the-dark rainforests to castles built on the backs of sleeping cloud giants, there’s a lot to discover. We created a new website for Abi to replace a site that was not mobile-friendly or easy to update.
“I was bowled over by Simon and his team at Bookswarm. They were efficient, creative and incredibly helpful. I couldn’t recommend them more.”
Abi Elphinstone, children’s author
Keith Kahn-Harris
Keith Kahn-Harris is a writer and sociologist. He’s published both academic and non-academic works, and is the author of seven books. His new website is designed to be an archive of his writing going back to the 1990s, so we created a simple-to-use database covering both his articles and papers, and his many talks and lectures.
“I’ve had a complicated career that’s involved multiple projects and many publications on a wide variety of themes. In the past, I’ve commissioned personal websites but never been satisfied with the results. Until now, no one has ever managed to build something that strikes the right balance between breadth and depth. I’m delighted to say that Simon and Bookswarm have managed to build me a website that allows me to publicise my books while also housing my personal archive. I was hugely impressed with the patience with which Simon discussed my needs with me and then developed a website that reflected my idiosyncrasies. He responded quickly to enquiries and was happy to go through several rounds of changes until we got to a result I was happy with. I would recommend him to any author who wants to have a website they can be proud of.”
Keith Kahn-Harris, sociologist and writer
Scientifically Speaking
Jo Browning is the author of Scientifically Speaking – a new book aimed at scientists and medics faces with the challenge of communicating their findings in a post-truth world.
“Now more than ever, the scientific and medical community is under the microscope and in front of the media. Science matters, and in a post-truth world it’s more important than ever for scientists and physicians to be heard.
But there’s a challenge. To get people to listen, you can’t communicate in writing alone anymore. You need to speak up and be seen – on stage, online, and on camera. To do this well you need to master the art of influential speaking, which is something you weren’t taught at university or medical school.
This book teaches you how to become a compelling scientific speaker so that you can put your message across with confidence and clarity, both online and in person. It’s written by a speaking coach with 25 years of experience in science communications.”
Tiffani Collins
Author website for Tiffani Collins, creator of the epic fantasy series The Traveler’s Journal, chronicling the adventures of Danny North Star and Alice Sinclair.
Séverine Autesserre
Bi-lingual website for New-York based academic Séverine Autesserre, who is an award-winning author, peacebuilder, and researcher.
The site is fully available in both English and French, with multiple languages handled by the WPML family of plugins. English > French translation was undertaken by Nathalie Reis Translations and project managed by Bookswarm.
“I am thrilled with the results of my collaboration with Bookswarm!
My redesigned website is much more appealing and user-friendly than it used to be, and I now have a French translation of this site.
The redesign process was a lot of work, but it was certainly worth it.”
Séverine Autesserre, award-winning author, peacebuilder, and researcher
Deborah Swift
Rebuild of an existing website, using most of the existing design elements but simplifying how books were managed and recreating the theme using Divi.
“The kind folks at Headline (who publish my Pepys Books) recommended Simon at Bookswarm, and immediately I was having a sensible conversation with someone who was used to making websites for authors. He tidied up the muddle that the other company had left behind, streamlined the design, and made it all functional so that a non-techie person like me could update it with the minimum of fuss. And all for a reasonable cost.”
Deborah Swift, author of historical fiction
Fran Grant
Fran Grant is an author of Children’s, Middle Grade and Young Adult books, as well as a copywriting professional – an all-round word lover. She asked us to create one site which could encompass both of these aspects of her work.
“From the first conversation with Simon I knew I was in safe hands, and working with an industry expert. I had a very specific requirement – to have a website where I could showcase both parts of my business – Author arm and Copywriting arm – rather than host two separate sites. Simon listened to my specific needs and presented a number of choices/solutions. The process was fast, efficient, and stress free, and Simon was a pleasure to work with, providing updates and advice along the way, and support at go-live. I am over the moon with my website and I’ve received a great deal of feedback and compliments on it! Thanks, Simon.”
Fran Grant, author and copywriting professional
David Pattison
Website for David Pattison – wingman, chairman, mentor, investor and author of business book The Money Train, a guide explaining to young businesses the key things they need to know about investors.
William Hussey
This is the second website we’ve created for William – reflecting the changing nature of his writing since we first worked with him. He’s an award-winning author of books for children and Young Adults, enjoying great reviews for gay love story/thriller Hideous Beauty.
Visitors can order signed / dedicated copies directly from William via the website using a simple order form linked to PayPal.
“Masters of the digital art, Bookswarm exceeded all my expectations and delivered an author website that everyone from readers and fans to industry insiders has raved about. I can’t recommend them highly enough.”
William Hussey, author of YA novels and dark thrillers
Nathan Rose
Nathan Rose is a bestselling author of books about technology, creativity, and strategy. He also helps non-fiction authors navigate the self-publishing process – helping them create timeless, influential books which reach their readers.
“What a great experience working with Simon. The entire process – from brief, to wireframes, to design images, to implementation – was beyond expectation. Best of all was he would work to what I asked for, but would also gently push back whenever he had a better idea.
I am delighted with the design and functionality of my new website, and I would definitely recommend his services. He is a consumate professional.”
Nathan Rose, business author
Keelan Nicks
Keelan Nicks writes for a new age of urban fantasy. Current projects include his upcoming debut novel Burden Of Care and the occult mystery novella Olivia Finch. Keelan is also a freelance content editor with over three years of experience with helping self-published and aspiring authors find their light in the writing community.
Alice Allen
Poet Alice Allen was born in London, grew up in Jersey in the Channel Islands and lives in the UK. We created a website for Alice to support the publication of her debut collection, Daylight of Seagulls, which is informed by the experience of her Jersey family who lived through the Nazi occupation, and the stories she would regularly hear when spending time on her grandparents’ farm as a child, as well as the Jèrriais language spoken by her grandmother.
Ben Wales
Website for Ben Wales, Masters level coach, facilitator and author specialising in leadership and high performance of growth companies between £5m and £100m turnover. Ben is the author of the forthcoming book Is This A Question?
Joelle Izack / Opal Iden
A pair of websites for an American romance novelist who writes under two different pen names – the sites use the same underlying structure and basic theme, with two different ‘skins’.
“It took me quite a while to step into a contract with another web designer. But, I am glad I did. With years of experience in the industry, Simon and his crew honed their communication and technical skills to a level that guaranteed they successfully translated my “I want” into a couple professional, market oriented, pleasing set of sister websites. Thank you for all the hard work and the perfect platforms for my stories.”
Joelle Izack, author
Isabelle Dupuy
Holly Bourne
Holly Bourne is a bestselling and critically acclaimed author. Inspired by her work with young people, and her own experiences of everyday sexism, Holly is a passionate mental health advocate and proud feminist.
We created this site jointly for Holly’s publishers Usborne and Hodder & Stoughton.
Geoffrey Gudgion
Website for Geoffrey Gudgion, who writes stories with a subtle, other-worldly twist.
“Working with Simon, Hazel and Alex at Bookswarm has been an absolute delight. My needs were moving beyond DIY WordPress and I’m delighted to have made the step into their hosted environment. The site looks fantastic and is a step-change in functionality. Even better, it will scale with me as more books are published. Strongly recommended.”
Geoffrey Gudgion, author of Draca and Saxon’s Bane
Daisy Christodoulou
Author website for Daisy Christodoulou, the Director of Education at No More Marking, a provider of online Comparative Judgement software for schools, and the author of three books about education: Teachers vs Tech, Making Good Progress, and Seven Myths about Education.
“Simon and his team designed a website that did everything I wanted it to, plus some more things I hadn’t thought of! They got back very quickly to all my queries and the whole process was very smooth and speedy.”
Daisy Christodoulou, author and educationalist
Erich Segal
Erich Segal (June 16, 1937 – January 17, 2010) was an American author, screenwriter, and Classics Professor. He was best known for writing the phenomenally successful novel Love Story (1970), and the hit major motion picture of the same name.
We worked with his literary estate to launch a new website in time for the 50th anniversary of the first publication of Love Story – designed to showcase Erich’s achievements in the fields of writing, academic and sport. We wish we could have met Erich while he was alive, but working on this website alongisde those who did know him was the next best thing.
“I can’t thank you enough for Erich’s website. It is absolutely perfect! You really listened to what I wanted, and captured both Erich and his work. You managed to incorporate all the different elements and still keep it fresh and accessible. The publishers in the US love it. Thank you for making the whole process such a pleasure, and I would highly recommend Bookswarm.”
Karen Segal, Erich Segal literary estate
S. K. Tremayne
S. K. Tremayne, a bestselling novelist and award-winning travel writer, and a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines around the world.
The Monday Revolution
The Monday Revolution is about changing your personal approach to work and life. It’s about taking control of time and spending it on the things that matter. There is great satisfaction in getting things done. Who wants to spend long days in pointless meetings or writing reports that never serve any real purpose?
It’s also the debut business book by David Mansfield – and every chapter contains stories, anecdotes and uncomplicated real-world advice on how you can Revolutionise your working life. From Monday.
“Searching for a web building company fills most of us with dread. It’s a minefield. I was fortunate enough to have Simon and his team recommended to me and the whole process was painless, delivered on time and on budget.
Since the launch Simon has been on hand to deal with any improvements and issues without hesitation. There’s really no need to look elsewhere.”
David Mansfield, author of The Monday Revolution
Owen Bennett-Jones
Owen Bennett-Jones reported for the BBC for 30 years. He has been a resident foreign correspondent in Bucharest, Geneva, Islamabad, Hanoi and Beirut and presented Newshour on the BBC World Service. In 2008 he was Sony news journalist of the year and in 2009 the Commonwealth journalist of the year. In 2012 Owen was Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. His podcast on the murder of Benazir Bhutto, The Assassination, won gold at the British Podcast Awards in 2018.
We created a new website for Owen to bring together his journalism, non-fiction and fiction all ine one place for the first time. The site includes the ability to upload source materials associated with books – so readers and listeners can access key documents that are part of Owen’s investigations.
Eileen Conway
Website for US-based debut author of middle-grade fiction.
Jonathan Coe
Website for leading British novelist Jonathan Coe, showcasing his full catalogue of work, including galleries of numerous UK and overseas editions of his books.
Dan Conway
Dan Conway is a former high school elected official. He held a variety of non-prestigious jobs over his twenty-year career in corporate America. Today, he writes about work, tech, family, and culture. His essays have appeared in Business Insider, Fatherly.com and Cuepoint. He lives in Northern California with his wife and three children.
We created this website to help promote his first book, Confessions of a Crypto Millionaire: My Unlikely Escape from Corporate America.
Dorothy Koomson
Dorothy Koomson is an award-winning novelist and best-selling author of My Best Friend’s Girl, The Ice Cream Girls and The Woman He Loved Before and many more books. Dorothy was already using WordPress, and we have created a new, custom design for her website, tied in to her transition to a new publisher; we have also streamlined the management of content on the site, using custom post types and custom fields to make it easier to add books.
Annabel Pitcher
Annabel Pitcher is a multi award-winning author of books for children and young people, whose work is published in 25 territories … and also a knackered mother of three young sons. We designed and built a new site for Annabel to replace her previous web presence.
Jack Heckel
A website for the whimsical worlds of Jack Heckel. Jack Heckel is the pen name for the writing duo of John Peck and Harry Heckel, who write novels which poke fun at common fanstasy and SF tropes.
“Simon and team have been fantastic throughout the process. It has been a pleasure working with them and building a great new website.”
John Peck, one half of writing duo Jack Heckel
Marina Warner
Marina Warner is a writer of fiction, criticism and history; her works include novels and short stories as well as studies of art, myths, symbols and fairytales. We created a new site to act as a definitive bibliography and news source.
Imogen Clark
Website for author Imogen Clark, who originally self-published her debut novel but then signed with Amazon publishing imprint Lake Union.
“As soon as I started talking to Bookswarm about the feel that I wanted for my website I could tell that they were with me and understood what I was looking for. The resulting site is exactly what I had in mind and was achieved quickly and with the minimum of fuss. They were pro-active in making suggestions for things that I hadn’t considered and patient when I changed my mind. I cannot recommend them highly enough.”
Imogen Clark, author
Douglas Westcott
Douglas Westcott is a pseudonym for a well-known Bath businessman, self-published author of Go Swift and Far.
Kathryn Hughes
Kathryn Hughes is author of digital number 1 and international bestseller The Letter, as well as The Secret and The Key.
Michael Symmons Roberts
Michael Symmons Roberts has won the Forward Prize, the Costa Poetry Prize and the Whitbread Poetry Award, and been shortlisted for the Griffin International Poetry Prize and the T.S. Eliot Prize. He has received major awards from the Arts Council and the Society of Authors. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and of the English Association.
“It was a pleasure to work with Simon and the team at Bookswarm. They were professional, creative and efficient, always happy – and swift – to answer my stupid questions. The fact that they specialise in writers and publishers made the whole process so much easier.”
Michael Symmons Roberts, British poet, writer and broadcaster
Christina Enquist
Website for debut author Christina Enquist, with her first YA novel The Immundus.
“Simon and his team did a phenomenal job on creating my author website. His team was flexible and accommodated the various edits and really understood the vision of the site. I would highly recommend Simon and the Bookswarm team.”
Christina Enquist, author of The Immundus
Piers Torday
Author website for award-winning children’s writer Piers Torday.
“Designing a new site and keeping continuity with my old one was a seamless process with Bookswarm from start to finish. Simon and his team were incredibly clear, responsive and inventive as they kept pace with my many questions and challenges. They immediately understood my brief and fulfilled it to the letter, and the result is I now have a website completely fit for purpose, with a lovely welcoming design, that is also very simple for me to manage and update. The support has been great too. I would recommend without reservation.”
Piers Torday, winner of Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize
Helen Pearson
Ultra-clean website for science journalist, author and communicator Helen Pearson.
“It was a pleasure working with Bookswarm to build my website. The team were courteous, efficient and excellent at understanding the needs of authors. We were able to work closely together to design a site that was elegant in design and easy to update, all delivered to a tight deadline.”
Helen Pearson, science journalist, author and communicator
Alex Seymour
Author website for ex-Royal Marine Alex Seymour, whose book Psychedelic Marine recounts his experiences of conflict and his quest for the hallucinogenic brew known as ayahuasca to help him recover from the horrors of war.
“The folks at Bookswarm understood exactly what I needed and worked to build a great website. I am very satisfied with the results. The team is friendly, experienced and I highly recommend them.”
Alex Seymour, author of Pyschedelic Marine
The Happysmarts Project
We migrated the Happysmarts Project to being WordPress-based, allowing the client to more easily manage the content, and translating the exercises and scales that are the heart of the project in to GravityForms so that they can be tweaked and the results can be exported at any time. We also took the opportunity to modernise aspects of the design and make the site mobile-friendly.
Trad’s Diary
Trad’s Diary has been a regular fixture for many gardeners since June 1975, forty two years ago, when the first issue of The Garden appeared. It was, and is, written by Hugh Johnson, who as Editorial Director had created the new magazine out of the old Journal of the Horticultural Society.
Bookswarm created the latest version of Trad’s Diary to be mobile-friendly and easy on the eye – and it’s home to over 500 entries written by Hugh since the diary went digital back in 2008.
P. D. James
Website for the late, great crime author P. D. James, designed to showcase her backlist as well as new publishing output from Faber, and provide readers with access to a range of archive material.
Connecting Paradigms
Website for speaker, trainer, and author of Connecting Paradigms
“Simon and his group have a great system for authors to express their creativity and passion through their website. If you are an author in need of a site to highlight your writing and other work, Simon is the right guy for you!”
Matthew S. Bennett, speaker, trainer, author
Annabel Kantaria
Website design and build for Dubai-based author of ‘domestic noir’ Annabel Kantaria.
“Authors should look no further: Bookswarm completely understand our needs.”
Annabel Kantaria, author of domestic noir including The One That Got Away
Dr Genevieve Von Lob
New website for clinical psychologist Dr Genevieve von Lob. While she already had a website, Genevieve felt an update was needed to support the publication of her debut non-fiction book, Five Deep Breaths: The Power of Mindful Parenting. The site also has the ability to showcase events and private practice information.
“Bookswarm really are the people to go if you an author looking for your ideal website. They have made my vision into a reality, and I couldn’t be more delighted with the final result. Simon is highly professional, genuine, so supportive, a great communicator and always easily contactable. Highly recommend!”
Dr Genevieve Von Lob, author of parenting books Five Deep Breaths and Happy Parent, Happy Child
Martina Cole
A new website for Queen of Crime Martina Cole, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the publication of her first novel.
Dr Barbara Oakley
Dr Barbara Oakley is an educator, writer and engineer who asked us to revitalise her web presence after many years of running it herself. We enjoyed the process of devising an information structure which accommodated her roles as speaker, teacher, book author and journalist.
“I’m an electrical engineer and also a popular author with a good eye for design, so I’ve maintained my own website for many years. I finally took the plunge and had Bookswarm remake my site. What an incredible difference! The site is SO beautifully designed and easy-to-use! Bookswarm took my ideas and shape shifted them to bring out exactly what I wanted, but in ways far better than I’d originally envisioned. Really, website design and implementation doesn’t get any better or easier than with Bookswarm – I cannot recommend them more highly!”
Dr Barbara Oakley, author
K L Slater
Author website for psychological thriller author K L Slater. We already created a website for Kim as a young adult novelist, but she needs to keep her two professional personas separate.
Lloyd Clark
Professor Lloyd Clark is currently a senior member of the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Buckingham’s Humanities Research Institute where he run the post-graduate programme in modern war studies and contemporary military history. Lloyd has lectured around the world to various universities, military institutions and think tanks and his publications include books on the First and Second World Wars as well as more recent conflicts including the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.
We created Lloyd’s website to support his range of activities, including his media work and his latest book, Blitzkrieg.
Jo Thomas
New scrapbook-style author website for Jo Thomas, author of romances about food, love, family and fun.
Sam Angus
Website for Sam Angus, author of children’s stories including Soldier Dog and Hero.
“I wanted to transform my website into something more playful and eye-catching. I had a fairly clear picture in my mind and sent Simon a fairly detailed brief. He was attentive and thorough and keen to interpret what I wanted. I love what he and his team have produced. The new website is fun, yet clean and professional and everything I imagined it to be.
Bookswarm was always efficient, prompt with delivery and patient in dealing with my queries. I will definitely use Simon and his team again.”
Sam Angus, author of historical adventure children’s novels including Solider Dog
Paul Bright
Paul Bright is a children’s writer and poet, who has published many picture books for children as well as poetry for kids. Paul has also written for school reading programmes, CBeebies radio and BBC web sites, and had stories broadcast on CBeebies TV and CITV’s Bookaboo. We designed and built a website to showcase Paul’s work, including his contribution to the official Winnie-the-Pooh sequel The Best Bear in all the World.
Anne Holt
Anne Holt is a journalist, lawyer, politician, news anchor and crime writer, published by Atlantic Books in the UK. This new website promoted Anne and her work ahead of the broadcast of a new television adaptation of her work, Modus.
Nicos Hadjicostis
Website for world traveller and writer Nicos Hadjicostis, designed to support and promote his book Destination Earth.
The Solidarity Project
Author website for academic, political campaigner and green activist Jonathan Boswell, who is currently working on a new book about solidarity.
“I wanted a website to promote a set of fairly radical social ideas (which will feature some way ahead in a book I’m still writing). I thought this might be outside Bookswarm’s brief, but they’ve been very responsive and creative. Some basic ideas I had on shape and colour were worked up nicely. I’ve greatly appreciated their patience with a non-techy like me, their efficiency and general aplomb. The result, I and others think, is fitting and attractive. I have no hesitation in recommending Bookswarm with enthusiasm.”
Jonathan Boswell, Author and Academic
Elly Griffiths
Website for Elly Griffiths, author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries, and the Stephens & Mephisto novels.
“It has been pleasure to work with Bookswarm. Simon took the time to find out exactly what I wanted, even though I wasn’t sure myself at the outset! The result is a website that really reflects my books. Simon and his team were creative, helpful and efficient. Highly recommended.”
Domenica de Rosa, author who writes as Elly Griffiths
Colin Matthews
Website design for composer Colin Matthews OBE. Colin studied at the Universities of Nottingham and Sussex, and subsequently worked as assistant to Benjamin Britten, and with Imogen Holst. He collaborated with Deryck Cooke for many years on the performing version of Mahler’s Tenth Symphony. Since the early 1970s, Matthews’ music has ranged from solo piano music through five string quartets and many ensemble and orchestral works.
“I don’t think Bookswarm has worked with a composer before, and Simon’s initial surprise at having to deal with well over 150 works rather than a handful of books quickly gave way to enthusiasm and unfailing support at every stage. This was no easy website to build, but the result is something both very stylish and easy to use – I couldn’t be happier!”
Colin Matthews OBE, Composer
Peter Fisk / Gamechangers
Peter Fisk is a global thought leader on growth, innovation and leadership. Peter is a keynote speaker, bestselling author and expert consultant. He is founder of the specialist consulting firm GeniusWorks, and Professor of Strategy, Innovation and Marketing at IE Business School.
We created two websites in one for Peter – a general site representing Peter as author, speaker and consultant, and a site for his latest book project, Gamechangers, published with Wiley.
We also created a number of videos in support of the new book.
Karen Rose Cityscape
Commissioned by publisher Headline, Karen Rose Cityscape allows fans to explore the work of internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose via an interactive map, and to see which characters feature in which books.
Katy Birchall
Website for Katy Birchall, author of the It Girl series, published by Egmont.
“I feel so lucky to have been able to put my website in the hands of Bookswarm. Their vision for The It Girl brand was spot on and I could not be happier with how the website has turned out, it’s exactly what I wanted. Simon and the Bookswarm team are incredibly knowledgeable and made the process ridiculously easy for me. I would highly recommend them.”
Katy Birchall, author of The It Girl (Egmont)
Patrick Ness
Website for bestselling author and twice winner of the Carnegie Medal, which includes the ability to create and apply different visual themes to different pages.
Helen Bell
Website for Helen Bell, author of the Ilmaen Quartet.
“The team at Bookswarm gave me a site that met my brief perfectly and went well beyond, with support and advice on areas I hadn’t considered – or hadn’t considered I would be able to manage so easily! They opened my eyes to all the options, and provided training and guidance that make the site really work for me and my books.”
Helen Bell, author of The Ilamen Quartet
Lisa Gardner Case Files
A UK digital presence for bestselling crime-writer Lisa Gardner. Redesigned and relaunched in November 2016.
Stephen King Books
A home on the web for international multi-million selling author Stephen King’s Books – focused on the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, and commissioned by his publishers in those territories, led by Hodder & Stoughton.
Kim Slater
Author website for Kim Slater, whose YA debut Smart was described by the Guardian as “a remarkable first novel.”
“I commissioned Bookswarm after seeing the other fabulous author websites they had designed and I also had a personal recommendation from another Macmillan author. Bookswarm made the whole process so easy, their prices are very competitive and the ongoing support is second to none. I recommend their services unreservedly.”
Kim Slater, author of Smart (Macmillan Children’s Books)
Sheila O’Flanagan
Responsive website for Sheila O’Flanagan, number 1 bestselling author of contemporary women’s fiction.
Patrick Gale
New website for Patrick Gale, author of novels including A Perfectly Good Man, The Whole Day Through and the Richard and Judy bestseller Notes From An Exhibition.
“Having designed me a stylish website, which is simplicity itself for me to maintain and update, Bookswarm have always been wonderfully speedy and a pleasure to deal with when I’ve needed some radical change making to the site’s structure or functions. I’d recommend them highly to any other writers or creative types who need a website and don’t want to know too much about what happens under the bonnet…”
Patrick Gale, author of Richard and Judy bestsellers Notes From An Exhibition and A Perfectly Good Man
Karen Maitland
Website for Karen Maitland, author of medieval thrillers including The Vanishing Witch, Liars and Thieves, Falcons of Fire and Ice, The Gallows Curse and The Owl Killers.
Jill Mansell
Website for bestselling author Jill Mansell.
Jennifer Gray
Website for award-winning author of children’s books Jennifer Gray, creator of Atticus Claw and Chicken Mission (Faber) and Guinea Pigs Online and Puppies Online (Quercus).
“Bookswarm made everything straightforward. My author site is great to look at, well-designed and easy to find your way around. Excellent WordPress training and support guaranteed to give even the most reluctant operator like me the confidence to add content and manage the site by themselves.”
Jennifer Gray, author of the Atticus Claw series for children (Faber)
Marcus Chown
Website for scientist, communicator, author, journalist and broadcaster Marcus Chown.
“Bookswarm are extremely patient and do an extremely good job”
Marcus Chown, author of Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You and We Need to Talk About Kelvin (Faber)
Michelle Harrison
Responsive author website for Michelle Harrison, award-winning author of the Thirteen Treasures Trilogy.
“Bookswarm were quick to understand the kind of look and the level of functionality I wanted for my website, and delivered it quickly and professionally. I’d highly recommend them.”
Michelle Harrison, author of the Thirteen Secrets trilogy (Simon & Schuster)
Simon Scarrow
Responsive author website for Simon Scarrow, number one bestselling author of the Cato and Macro novels and many other historical best-sellers.
D.D. Everest
Author website for D.D. Everest, author of Archie Greene and the Magician’s Secret, the first in a new series.
“Bookswarm did a brilliant job with my website – from initial design though to final implementation. After one conversation with Simon I had total confidence in them and they didn’t disappoint. Their genuine love of books shines through in every thing they do.”
D.D. Everest, author of Archie Greene and the Magician’s Secret (Faber)
Charles L. Carson
Responsive website design and build for US thriller writer Charles L. Carson.
“With two eBooks on Kindle and a third on the way, and after reviewing too many US based author website developers who touted phenomenal sites but without portfolios that supported their claims, I ran across Bookswarm. Simon’s philosophy matched mine exactly – have a website that mirrors the feeling of the books. I was in Honolulu and, obviously, Simon was in the UK. But, two Skype calls and numerous emails later, the result was purely wonderful. He captured the feeling of my work perfectly. I cannot say enough in support of his creative spirit.”
Charles L. Carson, author of the McManus Thrillers
Harriet Evans
A new home on the web for Harriet Evans and her writing, to coincide with her move to new publishers Headline.
Virginia Bergin
Author website for YA novelist Virginia Bergin. Redesigned in 2017 to provide a more flexible design that could accomodate standalone novels as well as Virginia’s first series.
“Bookswarm … know how an author’s site needs to work. They know about books. They know about design. They know about websites. (And a whole load of other stuff). I am a very happy customer!”
Virginia Bergin, author of The Rain (Macmillan Children’s)
Penny Vincenzi
Author website for multi-million bestselling author Penny Vincenzi, commissioned by publishers Headline. Updated in August 2018.
“Working with Bookswarm on [Penny Vincenzi’s website] was a completely positive and painless experience – you made everything as easy and straightforward as possible and everyone is thrilled with the result.”
Jo Liddiard, Head of Marketing, Headline Publishing Group
Rachel Blum, poet
Rachel is a poet who lives in in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“Working with Bookswarm made creating my poetry website such an easy and enjoyable process. Simon graciously blended my ideas with his own artistic vision to produce a site that is perfect for sharing my work. Their reliable accessibility contributed to my ease throughout the project.”
Rachel Blum, poet
Clare Furniss, Mk1
Author website for Clare Furniss, author of The Year of The Rat, described as “a truly amazing read” by Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman.
“I couldn’t be happier with the website Bookswarm created for me. The fact that Bookswarm are experts in creating author websites means they really know how to ensure that your site does exactly what you need it to. Simon was incredibly helpful and patient, and created a website that exceeded all my expectations. It’s clear and easy to navigate and it looks fantastic.”
Clare Furniss, author of The Year of the Rat (Simon & Schuster)
Zaid Al-Ali
Author website for writer and academic Zaid Al-Ali. Zaid is quoted regularly in the international press on Iraqi developments and on constitutional reform issues in the Arab region, including in the New York Times, the Financial Times, the BBC, National Public Radio, the Guardian, and the Daily Telegraph, amongst many others.
“Bookswarm’s experience in creating author-related websites is really invaluable. Not only did they design the website for me, they actually helped me understand what it was that I wanted for my own website, which was not an easy thing to do considering that I had not thought this through myself. Bookswarm made the entire process intelligent, swift, and professional and it was a pleasure to have worked with them.”
Zaid Al-Ali, author, The Struggle for Iraq’s Future (Yale University Press)
Tania Unsworth
Author website for children’s writer Tania Unsworth, author of The One Safe Place and The Secret Life of Daisy Fitzjohn.
This website was updated at the start of 2017 to reflect Tania’s increased emphasis on school visits and her changing social media profile.
“I can’t recommend Bookswarm highly enough for writers looking to create a website. They were understanding, patient, incredibly creative and best of all knew exactly what I needed.”
Tania Unsworth, author of The One Safe Place (Orion Children’s Books)
Spying on Democracy
Website to promote Heidi Boghosian’s Spying on Democracy and provide interested readers with additional content and resources.
Hanif Kureishi
Author website for novelist, playwright and screenplay writer Hanif Kureishi CBE.
Shannon Selin
Responsive website design for Shannon Selin, Canadian author of historical novel Napoleon in America. We also created a logo for Shannon to use on her business cards and on the books themselves.
“Simon Appleby and the Bookswarm team immediately understood what I was looking for in an author website, and came up with a design and functionality that fully meets my needs.”
Shannon Selin, author, Napoleon in America
Peter Watson
Design and build of a WordPress-based website for award-winning author and journalist Peter Watson.
“My collaboration with Simon Appleby was so friction-free and productive that, had he been a woman, I would have asked him to marry me.”
Peter Watson, award-winning author and journalist
Marcel Theroux
Website for novelist, travel writer and journalist Marcel Theroux
Ali Knight
Website for Hodder & Stoughton crime author Ali Knight
Raymond Khoury
Website and for New York Times #1 Bestselling thriller writer Raymond Khoury. First designed by Bookswarm in 2011, and re-designed in 2013.
“Redesigning my website was a very enjoyable experience right from the minute I sat down with the Bookswarm team. Truthfully, I can’t recommend Simon and the Bookswarm team highly enough.”
Raymond Khoury, New York Times Bestselling Novelist, author of The Last Templar (Orion)
William Hussey
Website for spooky young adult and horror writer William Hussey.
Subsequently replaced with a new version.
“Masters of the digital art, Bookswarm exceeded all my expectations and delivered an author website that everyone from readers and fans to industry insiders has raved about. I can’t recommend them highly enough.”
William Hussey, author of YA novels and dark thrillers
Pam Evans
Website for established family saga author Pam Evans.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Simon Appleby and the team at Bookswarm. They built a beautiful website for me and Simon was always available to help me learn how to use it.”
Pam Evans, family saga author
Christina Hopkinson
Two generations of this author website for author and journalist Christina Hopkinson.
“The Bookswarm team built me a site that was not only lovely-looking, but intuitive to use. I can thoroughly recommend them and have done so already to some of my fellow authors.”
Christina Hopkinson, author of The Pile of Stuff at the Bottom of the Stairs and Just Like Proper Grown-Ups (Hodder & Stoughton)
Saul David
Website for historian, novelist, lecturer and broadcaster Saul David.
“Bookswarm’s classy design has transformed my website. It looks great, is simple to navigate, and – vital for a non-techno like me – even easier to update.”
Saul David, Historian, Novelist and Broadcaster (Penguin / Hodder & Stoughton)
