Belbin began his career by writing Young Adult Fiction, where his work is known for breaking boundaries and dealing responsibly with difficult social issues that affect teenagers.

"It is a full-length novel which examines the machinations and morality of a sexual affair between a male English teacher and a fifteen-year-old female student," Belbin has said.

in 1999, Belbin has written a string of short novels for 'reluctant' readers, often dealing with the same kind of edgy themes as his full-length work.

Stray (2006) is about a girl gang and drug dealing, while Shouting at the Stars (2005) about the nervous breakdown of a disabled teenage singer/songwriter is one of many books that reflect Belbin's interest in popular music.

It featured many significant Young Adult Fiction authors, including Kevin Brooks, Melvyn Burgess, Anne Cassidy, Keith Gray, Graham Marks, Nicola Morgan, Beverley Naidoo and Bali Rai.

Some scenes in this novel predate the previous two, filling in the mysterious back story of Sarah's family, including her Labour minister grandfather and father, who died of AIDS.

His 2022 memoir,'Don't Mention the Night', mainly set in the 1970s, weaves Belbin's life story together with that of singer/songwriters Nick Drake, Kevin Coyne and Nottingham group, Gaffa.

In 2023, Belbin entered a civil partnership by special license with his partner of forty years, poet and educationalist, Sue Dymoke, [12] four days before her death from cancer.