[singlepic id=102 w=320 h=240 float=right]I’m Kenny Duggal, a writing, designing, marketing, cocktail shaking, globe-trotting wizard with words and jack of more than a few trades. Since I was a toddler I’ve been devouring books and pizza, leading to my infatuation with writing and Italy. I originally wanted to be Batman, but after some legal issues I settled on being a writer, which is a bit more safe. I don’t get a utility belt, but you know, the pen is mightier than the sword and all that, although my stationary doesn’t make me look as intimidating as I would like it to. Below is a bit about me, but if you’d prefer to read the book when I’ve found a publisher, feel free to check out my résumé, and get in contact!

Education

As a student of literature and media, a good length of my life has been spent loading pens with ink cartridges and slashing across books to keep my hyperactive imagination occupied. Whilst other teenagers were sitting in parks and drinking alcopops and having a social life, I was inside learning all the ins and outs of being a great writer and how to use various software programmes to build my own websites to show off my stories, create animations and bring my ideas to life. I refuse to believe that makes me sound like I was a loser growing up, because I was the only one amongst my friends to have a .com! They said they weren’t jealous, but I knew they really were. I’ve been studying English literature, media studies and creative writing  for over ten years, having been selected for the Young, Gifted and Talented programme and award and receiving certificates of recognition at school. I continued on at the wonderful University of Sussex, where I helped give life to the creative writing society, Write Club and freelanced as an editor for the student newspaper, The Badger. I also got myself the nickname “library legend” for spending five days and nights continuously without sleep getting my work done, because sleep is the cousin of death. After those five days, I found out for myself how very closely related those two are.

Freelance

[singlepic id=107 w=270 h=190 float=right]Although alcopops are all well and good, I’ve been using my skills for as long as I can remember; at age 13 I started up my own business designing and selling ringtones and phone backgrounds for popular phone models we now know as “bricks” and wrote copy and designed logos for a range of different businesses. Since then I’ve been freelancing alongside my studies, having contributed reviews and articles to blogs and websites such as Acegamez.co.uk, designed artwork for recruitment agencies such as Contact 4 Recruitment in Heathrow and worked closely with various online websites such as VGDC.com. Whilst studying at the University of Sussex, I’ve been involved with and organised projects from the ground up, including a volunteer project to India, managing and marketing a new karaoke bar and assisting in the branding and opening of a new nightclub. I’ve also done my part by working closely with international students, supporting them with reading, writing and research skills, use of campus facilities such as the library and proofreading coursework in individual and group sessions. After graduating, I’ve gone on to copywriting, designing, marketing, PR and business development, SEO and event management for start-ups, online publications, experiential agencies and some big brands! Some of the people I’ve worked with?

• Diageo
• Lucozade
• LG
• Nike
• BMW
• Vype
• Weve
• TRO Experiential
• Fluid London
• Huddlebuy
• Milkround
• The University of Sussex
• A Ray of Hope Foundation

When I’m not working myself into silly sleeping patterns, I love travelling, having journeyed through France, Spain, Turkey, Egypt, India and the USA. I love to meet new people and be immersed in foreign cultures, whether it means struggling to get my daily fix of meat in India, being forced into a siesta because the entire country is asleep in Spain, or putting on weight for the first time in my life because the food is so good in California.