Surnames in alphabetical order, Title, Category, Biography
ALLEN, David
Kabaka Lear, Novel, Literary
David Allen was born in Birmingham, England in 1936 and has an Honours degree in English. He taught in Uganda, East Africa between 1966 and 1970 and migrated to Australia in 1972 where he lectured in drama, worked as a theatre director and wrote extensively for the stage, radio and television. His plays have been produced all over Australia and in the UK, Germany, Holland, Ireland and the USA. They include Cheapside, Gone With Hardy, Pommies, Modest Expectations and Upside Down at the Bottom of the World. Television credits range from Neighbours, Flying Doctors and Rafferty’s Rules to Snowy, GP and Blue Heelers. David has taught at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, won two Writers Guild ‘Awgies’ and the Victorian Premier’s prize for drama. Kabaka Lear is his second novel. The first remains unpublished. He is married, lives in Sydney and has two daughters and four granddaughters.
BARRETT, Susan
Novels, Satire and Comedy: Moses, Noah's Ark, Rubbish, Take Care Dear
Novels, Literary: Private View, The Beacon, Making a Difference
Susan spent her childhood in Devon and at school in Bath. She worked as a copywriter in London before leaving to live in Greece where she began writing fiction. She has had seven novels published in hardback and paperback in UK and USA. Other work includes travel writing, television drama, and wildlife and children's books illustrated by her husband Peter. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University College. From 2009-11, she dreamt up and established WritersReadersDirect. She has now returned to writing full-time. Her fiction is now available in ebook editions on WRD.
BEAUMONT, Roger
Blue Beast Saga, Novel, Literary
Roger Beaumont holds B.S. (1957) and M.S. (1960) degrees from Wisconsin and a Ph. D. from Kansas State, all in history. After several years in a UW-Milwaukee-based think tank, and adjunct teaching at UW and Marquette in the late ‘60s and ‘early ‘70s, he taught history at Texas A&M University 1974 until retirement in 2003. Co-founder of the journal Defense Analysis, and author of a dozen books and monographs and over eighty book chapters and articles, he is co-author with his wife of the forthcoming Imperial Divas:The Vicereines of India. Beaumont served as an NCO in the Army Reserve in the mid-1950s, and active duty tours as an M.P. officer in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. He has guest-lectured and consulted on defense-related matters in Europe and the United States, and was Secretary of the Navy Fellow at the U.S. Naval Academy (1989-90). He has been a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America since 1973. His wife, Penny, is a retired academic administrator and active in local and state wide charitable and public service activities; his son, Eric, formerly Librarian at the Milwaukee County jail, is well-known on the Milwaukee and international music scenes as Eric Blowtorch; one daughter, Anne, is a partner in a New York law firm; the other, Katherine, and her husband, Greg, are administrators in social service agencies in Bryan, Texas.
BECKER, Louisa
Take Care Dear, Novel, Literary; Tales of the Twins, Children, Short Story Collection
Louisa Becker has had seven novels published under another name in hardback and paperback in the UK, USA and Europe. She has written a number of children’s books and a play for television which starred Annette Crosbie, the late Maurice Denham and Trevor Eve. She self-published her eighth novel and knows all about the difficulties faced by fiction writers today.
BYRNE, Beverley
On Brixton Hill and other stories, Short Story Collection
For many years Beverley Byrne worked as a full time journalist before turning to fiction. Her previous career as a lecturer in film history at the British Film Institute, London University and Farnham Art College led her to a full time journalism when she began conducting interviews with stars of the big screen for The Lady magazine.
This speciality expanded to include interviews with authors, radio and television personalities for The Standard newspaper and a range of national magazines including Saga, House Beautiful, Ideal Home and Country Homes and Interiors to name but a few. She contributes to national interiors magazines and has also enjoyed success as a travel writer for magazines, newspapers and journals such as Wedding, The Lady, Canary Wharf, the Mirror and the Western Morning News.
Travel, cinema – particularly films from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s - and a passion for sailing continue to provide her with inspiration for her short stories. She has published several short stories and is currently working on a novel based on her experiences living in rural Devon with her husband plus Gus, a Springer spaniel, and yellow Labrador, Leo.
CAMPBELL, Marcus
A Blue Forest, Novel, Literary
Afterlife with Chainsaw, short story collection
Marcus Campbell was born in New Zealand in 1951. He studied English literature and drama (BA, Wellington) set-design (MA, California) and directing (MFA Canada) then pursued a career in theatre as a designer, director, actor and writer. His plays have been performed in Auckland, Seattle, Juneau (Alaska) and Greenwich Village (New York) and selected for the NZ National Playwrights’ Workshop (1983). He was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship (1977) the Frank Sargeson Award for short story writing (1981, see: OUP New Zealand Short Stories, 1983 reprinted as Cabernet Sauvignon with my Brother) and has been a semi-finalist in the Katherine Mansfield short story competition. A Blue Forest is his first novel. Afterlife with Chainsaw, a collection of 17 short stories, is also on WRD.
ELLIOTT, Ira
Flash Lives, short stories
Ira Elliott teaches at Hunter College in New York.
HAWTHORN, Ann
A Woman, micro
Ann Hawthorn has an English degree from Oxford University. She's the mother to two young children and spends a lot of her time reading Doald Dahl books to them, clearing up their constant trail of toys and trying to let them win at board games. The rest of her life is spent writing and sleeping.
HOPE, Polly
Three True Stories, Short Story Collection
Polly Hope is an English artist and writer. She studied painting at the Slade School in London. She has exhibited on every continent in the world except Greenland. She and her late husband, the architect Theo Crosby, were responsible for the rebuilding of Shakespeare’s Globe on London’s South Bank. She has published three very successful novels. These are available from AMAZON under the pseudonym MARYANN FORREST. She also works in the theatre; her own opera, THE BIRD GARDEN - including its libretto, design and book - was recently produced by the Deutsch Oper am Rhein, where she also designed costumes and sets for Kiss me Kate for the same opera house in Dusseldorf. She is now working on a new opera, a two-volume novel and a big art installation. She lives in Spitalfields in London together with dogs, cats, a parrot and chickens.
http://www.PollyHope.com for further information
KILCOURSE, Tom
Underground, Short Story Collection; Snapshots, Short Story Collection; Lancashire Tripe, bundle of 5 Micro; In the Beginning, bundle of 5 Micro
During his career in management development Tom Kilcourse was extensively and frequently published in a variety of management and academic journals. He also had a monograph on ‘Team Problem Analysis’ published. Additionally, as a compulsive writer, he produced many short stories, some of which have been, and are being, published in magazines in the UK. He presently has a collection of 40 short stories selling on Amazon under the title ‘The Human Circus’. That book was published by Lulu.
Since coming to live in France he has had some articles on French life published in magazines, and has done some journalism for French News, an English language monthly published in France for ex-pats.
He is a Mancunian in origin, who started his working life as a coalminer and a bus driver, before gaining a scholarship in his late twenties to read economics and politics for two years at Ruskin College, Oxford. Having gained his diploma he won a State Mature Scholarship, one of only two awarded that year, to read Economics at Hull University. He gained a B.Sc. Econ. Honours.
He has now retired to France with his wife, to live in Norman tranquillity, which is an ideal environment for writing.
KIRBY, Brian
Personal Column, Classified, Up the City
Born in London, Brian’s education culminated with five years at Hornsey College of Art. Early years (this was the silly sixties) included an overland trip by London Taxi to the Far East and ultimately, Australia. With a US partner, he created a cartoon strip for the Sydney Sun Herald, the London Daily Sketch and ultimately the Chicago Tribune/New York News Syndicate.
He has worked as a designer and Creative Director in London, Sydney, Barbados and Perth. The years in Barbados were spent establishing a London-based design company but in that period he also became a member of the Barbados Arts Council, designer with the Barbados Dance Theatre and initiated design classes at the University of the West Indies.
As a painter, Brian has had seven one-man exhibitions and been included in group shows that include the Biennales of Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Medellin (Columbia).
In 1984 he became Senior Lecturer at the West Australian School of Art, Design and Media (Perth), working in graphics and film & television and in this latter role, began to write. A novel, a magazine column and a number of film treatments (all unsuccessful) led to The Personal Column.
He lives and works in Western Australia with his wife of 47 years, his two children and three grandchildren.
MERRICK, Patrick
Patrick Merrick (pen name) comes from a long line of avid readers. History has always been his passion. He discovered Greek mythology at the age of six. After graduating from Sheffield University with Honours in Ancient History & Archaeology,he began editorial work for a London construction journal. He is now employed within a community mental health team. He is also a keen fencer with épée and sabre which led to his double life as a debonair Pirate, at least for a five year old friend. His first Pirate stories were two sides of A4 paper. These evolved into 40 page illustrated epics.
Fire of Helicon is his first full length novel. He spent months researching the background, stumbling through Ancient Greek and finally visiting Greece itself. He loved every minute.
PINSKER, Harry
The Strong and Silent Man, Memoir
Harry Pinsker was born in 1930 in the East End of London, the younger son of a printer and a music teacher. Growing up during the Second World War, he struggled to complete his education, and managed through sheer determination to realise his ambition to become a Chartered Accountant. This career brought him into contact with a variety of celebrities, politicians and entrepreneurs – among them The Beatles, John Osborne, Sir Eddie and Lady Kulukundis (Susan Hampshire), Lord Goodman, Brian Epstein, Peter Saunders to name but a few.
Having been bullied at school for being fat he followed his own “miracle” diet and lost over 9 stone, successfully keeping off the excess weight from 1966 to date.
Now over 80, he is retired and lives in north London; he has three daughters, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
REDDAWAY, Clare
Morg, The Story of an Iron Age Girl, Children
For bio, see WRD panel of readers
RATHWELL, Richard
Tim and Dorothy, literary novel
Red the Nile, Blue the Hills, literary novel
Richard Rathwell was born in Ottawa in 1947. He attended High School in Oakville, Ontario where he won awards for public speaking, where his usual theme was political and literary utopias. His teachers found him oppositional.
Rathwell attended Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia for his honours degree where he was twice arrested protesting the nature of the university.
Following Canada, Richard lived in Ireland and was part of the Blue Apple rural writing collective. He won national awards in Ireland for short story writing and poetry. He worked as a journalist for the Kilkenny Phoenix and as a castle warden. He soon left Ireland for Nigeria.
Rathwell has taught literature in schools in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Lesotho as well as in Ireland. He was a tutor at Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria. He has won awards for children’s drama productions and writing in Nigeria and Zimbabwe. He was later invited to advise the World Bank. He has also worked as an expert adviser to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Rathwell’s career before he became a writer was, for an extended period of time, as a country director or executive for Aid organisations. This service took place initially in Nigeria, Lesotho and Egypt.There is a street in Gulu which may still bear his name, and a tree in India. During a period of absolute monarchy in Lesotho Rathwell was director of King Moshoeshoe II's social organisation.
Richard’s aid work is the basis of two of his novels. His experiences as an ‘exile’ serve as the basis of some of his other works. He presently resides in London, UK.
RICHMOND LEIGH
Kiss and Tell, two collections of Life Stories, Adult
Richmond Leigh has had a chequered career, having started as an advertising copywriter. The main activity in the Creative Department, in the leisurely 60s, was the creation of imaginative leaving cards with and for other copywriters who went on to write novels.
PERARA, Shyama
Split Vote, Micro
For bio, see WRD panel of readers
STOPFORD, Alexandra
Sanctuary House, Novel, Young Adult
Alexandra Stopford began writing ten years ago. She loves it so much that she gave up her job as a teacher to devote more time to writing. Her first book was for young adults. It’s about an unconventional family with problems caused by one of the daughters. Written from the perspective of the youngest daughter, it deals with issues such as bullying, trust, living in a small rural community, betrayal and redemption. ‘Sanctuary House’ is her second novel.
She has attended an Arvon writing course which, she says, was awe-inspiring and taught her a great deal. She started an MA in Creative writing at Plymouth University in autumn 2010.
TAYLOR, Elaine
Substitute, Single Short Story, Adult
Elaine Taylor lives and works in London and is studying for an MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. She is working on a novel at the moment and also writes poems.
VERRILL, Chris
Is For Good Men To Do Nothing, Non-fiction,Travel
Chris Verrill was born in California in 1964, graduated from UC Davis with a great degree that has nothing to do with writing books. He is single, has never married, has no kids, no pets, one dying plant. He is currently the executive director of Beijing Playhouse and a member of the Rotary Club of Beijing. Learn more at www.chrisverrill.com.
WILLIS, Richard
Ringlands, Nonfiction, a historical/topographical study
Richard Willis was born in London and was self-educated at Harrow School. He joined the Navy in 1942, serving in destroyers and landing craft. He was wounded during the Normandy landings carrying American tanks. He served in Italy and Malta. On leaving the Navy in 1946, he took up a profession in art. He now lives in Somerset.