About Sean McManus

My name is Sean McManus and I'm a writer based in the UK.

For over 20 years, www.sean.co.uk has been my home online. As well as promoting and supporting my books and copywriting services, the site hosts articles and tutorials, photo galleries, and code I've written.

I enjoy programming, and started out programming on the Amstrad CPC computer. I'm a fan of the Raspberry Pi. I co-wrote Raspberry Pi For Dummies, and wrote Mission Python which shows you how to build a space adventure game using Python on your Raspberry Pi or your PC. I also wrote Scratch Programming in Easy Steps and Cool Scratch Projects in Easy Steps, to help bring the joy of coding to the next generation. The 3D games that use anaglyph glasses in Cool Scratch... are some of my favourite Scratch projects I've worked on.

My novel Earworm takes you undercover in the music industry. I hope you'll check out the free sample!

Travel and photography

I enjoy travel and photography, and am publishing galleries of my travel photography on this website. I've been lucky to have been able to travel to China and Australia, among other places. My Travel Photography Map (instructions here) shows some of the places I've visited and photographed.

Art and music

I enjoy working on collaborative art and theatre projects. As a member of a writing group, I have contributed to group-authored plays, performed by a local theatre group. In the summer of 2012, I was a volunteer performer in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. I took part in the industrial revolution sequence. In 2013, I helped to create the Big IF windmill installation, campaigning for the G8 to tackle hunger worldwide. In 2014, I helped to plant poppies at the Tower of London for the commemorative installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red. In 2015, I performed in the 150-strong choir with David Byrne's Atomic Bomb Band at the Royal Festival Hall, celebrating the music of William Onyeabor. I also performed, volunteered backstage and helped with the set build at You Me Bum Bum Train, an immersive theatre experience, in 2015. I am a member of a singing group that performs harmony arrangements of rock and pop songs, classic and modern, a few times a year.

I enjoy visiting art galleries, and particularly appreciate modern art. In 2013, I went to Spain to visit the Dali museums, on a self-organised Dali Safari. See my Dali photos here.

I write and record my own music. You can hear some of my music here.

My favourite music

I'm passionate about music. Since going to my first concert (Jean Michel Jarre's Destination Docklands in 1988), I've been a regular concert-goer. I've been lucky to see most of my favourite acts several times and to see many unique shows. I saw the opening and closing nights of Prince's O2 residency in 2007, and a rare solo show by Noel Gallagher in 1998. I was there the only time David Gilmour has played Atom Heart Mother in my lifetime, and the night he popped up on top of the wall to guest on Comfortably Numb for Roger Waters' 2011 Wall Tour. I've seen Bowie, Pavarotti, Madonna, McCartney, Quo, Pink Floyd, The Who, Genesis, Radiohead, Pulp, REM, Blur, Kylie, The Cure, Depeche Mode, My Life Story, Inspiral Carpets, Tom Hingley, Jesus Jones, Black and hundreds more.

Virtual webcam

Virtual webcam. Refreshes every 60 seconds. What's this?

More information

You can find out more about my books here, and can browse my magazine articles here. You can chat with a virtual me here and contact me here.