Here are a few short biographies and links to some writer friends of mine -
Robert Ronsson describes himself as a "solipsistic autodidact with a preternatural veneration for the English
language and an interest in vogue words." He is a writer of short stories and longer fiction, including the children's novel, Olympic Mind Games, as well as a professional business writer. He has won many competitions and is featured in the Finding a Voice anthology of new work by students at the National Academy of Writing
Tina Freeth Tina began writing in 2006, gaining a place at the National Academy of Writing. Her first short story 'Lychees and Bingo Balls' was published by Birmingham Libraries in October 2007, launched at the Birmingham Book Festival. Tina was the first British Born Chinese author to be featured at the festival. Since then Tina has gone on to write short film scripts and is one of five winners of the BBC Bites competition held this March by the BBC Writersroom. Tina's first ever piece of creative writing 'Growing up on Lard' will be featured in the decibel Penguin anthology - The Map of Me (due to be published in November 2008). Tina is currently writing her memoir about growing up an adopted Chinese 'Brummie' and discovering she is the offspring of a tai chi master. She too is featured in the Finding a Voice anthology
Richard Howse works in a Berkshire library has afforded him many opportunities to interview and learn from high-profile authors and politicians. In 2007 he was shortlisted for Channel 4's Feverpitch competition, is a moderator at Litopia.com Writers' Colony, and a regular panelist on the writer's podcast Litopia After Dark, recorded live via uStream.tv every Friday night. Richard is currently plotting a young adult fantasy novel, Curse of the Library and maintaining his writing blog at wondering-mind.blogspot.com
Will Buckingham is a philosopher, teacher and writer. His novel Cargo Feaver is published by Tindall Street Press. He created the long running and much loved Birmingham Words web site and writers' community. His latest book is Finding Our Sea-Legs: Ethics, Experience an the Ocean of Stories, which is about the way we can use stories to help us acclimatise ourselves to a life of uncertainty.
John Murray ought to be a national treasure. A writer of satirical comedies such as Jazz etc, Radio Activity, John Dory, Murphy's Favourite Channels, and A Gentleman's Relish, he is published by Flambard Press. He has the rare distinction of having created and edited the influential literary magazine, Panurge, which ran for twelve years between 1984 and 1996. He has been long-listed for the Booker Prize, and lives in Cumbria where he runs a fiction consultancy, writes and teaches. An interview with him appears on the WriteWords site
Fiona Joseph lives in Birmingham and is a former textbook author and university lecturer who now runs the award-winning Flo-Joe company, writing and publishing online learning resources for learners of ESOL. She is also joint director of Flo-Joe Training and Consultants . Fiona had been writing short fiction for a number of years before joining the National Academy of Writing in 2008. She was recently longlisted in the Happenstance International Short Story competition, and her work can be seen in the Finding A Voice Anthology.She is currently working on a biography, The Amazing Story of Little B, of the life of Beatrice Cadbury, youngest daughter of the Cadbury chocolate empire. Her website can be accessed here.
Penny Walker is editor, co-author and publisher of two books that give a unique insight into the experience and status of asylum seekers: Statelessness: the Quiet Torture of Belonging Nowhere, and I Came Here for Safety. She is one of the founders of the Coventry Peace House: a housing co-operative and peace and environment centre which hosts a number of community activities; and a night shelter for homeless asylum seekers.
Paul Kingston has written many books and articles on the subject of vulnerability in old age, including Elder Abuse in Perspective.
Bobbie Darbyshire's debut novel, Truth Games, about sex in the 70s will be published in 2009 by Cinnamon Press. Bobbie hopes to find a producer for the pilot episode of her TV adaptation of Truth Games. Her stories have appeared in Mslexia and been performed by Liars' League, and one is included in the Finding a Voice anthology. Bobbie lives in London and is working on a new novel.
Mike Morrison is by day a web designer, and by night a writer, enrolled at the National Academy of Writing. He's also co-founded a couple of e-commerce clothing and gadgets websites, and works as a tour manager, taking high school groups of Americans around Europe each summer. He is currently writing a historical adventure novel, The Merchant of Vienna based on the Turkish siege of that city in 1683. Any time he has left is spent trying to persuade his wife that several weekends ensconced in Viennese cafes are vital to the research process.
Ian Tromp writes poetry, fiction, and criticism. He has published one books of poems (Setting Out; Snail Press, 1994) and co-edited The Heart in Exile: South African Poetry in English, 1990-1995 (Penguin, 1996) and contributed essays and reviews to various publications in the UK and US. In the past few years, most of his time has been taken up with training as a counsellor, but he's managed to write a few stories nonetheless, two of which have so far been printed in small magazines in South Africa.
Roger Noble is currently working on a novel which looks at the effects of the past and of memory on our lives today. He is a Psychologist and has been a freelance writer since 2006. He is also working on a volume of short stories. Some extracts of his writing are on his website but his various blogs are published pseudonymously.
Nicola Monaghan is a Fellow at the National Academy of Writing, and author of two novels, The Killing Jar, an excellent novel about personal redemption which won a Betty Trask award among other accolades, and Starfishing. She hails from Nottingham, where some of her work is set.