Nicky Hayes

I was born on the 19th of June, 1953, and I'm a lecturer in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at Bradford University. I'm a psychologist by trade, and a fellow of the British Psychological Society. I can be contacted at the University on n.j.hayes@bradford.ac.uk, or alternatively at nicky@nickyhayes.co.uk. These are my qualifications, if you're feeling nosy. And this is a way back to my home page, just in case you feel the need to get out, fast!

I've also written quite a few psychology books. I give conference papers from time to time, I have a couple of research projects, and I sometimes do a bit of consultancy, although usually fairly reluctantly. My interests are broad (within psychology), and mainly theoretical: for example, I developed what I think of as a rather interesting model of the psychological dimensions of organisation culture for my PhD. One of the advantages of writing textbooks is that you have to have a wide and (reasonably) up to date knowledge of your subject; and once you've begun to acquire one of those, you begin to get all sorts of interesting ideas. Well, they interest me, anyway.

I read Private Eye, and New Scientist on a regular basis. Most of my other reading is pretty irregular. My hobbies vary from time to time, but have included ice skating, science fiction, Formula One racing, and recently model-making and (somewhat of a surprise to me, as well as to my friends) camping.

I took up ice skating when I was 39, and I enjoyed it enormously for the next nine years, until new work and family circumstances shifted it into second place - as tends to happen with hobbies, doesn't it? The illustration is a picture of me doing a sponsored spiral for Comic Relief - note the red nose! I didn't ever get round to taking tests, but it was surprising to me just how much it was possible to learn, even when you start so late. But then, I had an excellent tutor - Val Rhodes.

I've been reading sci-fi since I was a teenager, and consider it to be one of the highest forms of literature - when it's well written, of course. I will probably try writing some when I grow up, which at present is scheduled to be when I'm about 60. But I make no promises as to its quality: I've read enough to appreciate how difficult it is to write the really good stuff. Although it is my main form of leisure reading, and I can make out a good psychological case for SF as some of the best mental training, I wouldn't class myself as a Science Fiction Fan because I don't particularly like dressing up and going to conventions - though I have nothing against those who do. I'm just a reader, I suppose. I've been asked to mention my favourite authors. They vary over the years, but I suppose a list would always be likely to include C. J. Cherryh, Roger Zelazny, David Brin, Julian May, and Anne McCaffrey.

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