Author biographies

We've got a fantastic group of authors here at Legend Press - each and every one is absolutely brilliant to work with. We're listing them here in alphabetical order by surname, we think you'll agree they're an interesting bunch! If you'd like to contact any of them either follow the links to their personal websites or blogs, or simply send us an email at info@legend-paperbooks.co.uk and we'll pass on your message.

OUR NOVELISTS:                                                                                           

Andrew Blackman

Andrew recently moved back to the UK after spending six years in New York, where he worked as a staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal. He has also written for newspapers and magazines across America, including Monthly Review, the Cincinnati Post, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Seattle Times and Tampa Tribune, and won the Daniel Singer essay prize. He has a Bachelor’s degree in modern history from Oxford University and a Master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. Chosen from hundreds of entries Andrew Blackman was the first winner of the Luke Bitmead Writer’s Bursary, winning a publishing contract with Legend Press.

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Luke Bitmead

White Summer was Luke's first published novel and received rave reviews nationwide. Luke tragically and suddenly passed away on 27th October 2006, aged 34. To honour his memory, enthusiasm and great talent Legend Press is working with Luke's family to continue promoting White Summer and other writing he had been working on. Royalties from his books will go to the Luke Bitmead Memorial Fund to support fledgling writers; more details can be found at www.lukebitmead.com. Heading South, a novel in two halves which Luke wrote jointly with Catherine Richards, was published in May 2007. We miss you Luke.

Reviews, blurbs and more information about:
White Summer
Heading South

Other links:
The Luke Bitmead Memorial Fund

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William Coles

William has been a journalist for 18 years - which he thinks is probably the reason why he hates working in little pokey offices or libraries. Instead, he likes writing in coffee-bars and internet cafes with a wall of white noise and coffee on tap. Even though he's now written his first novel, The Well-Tempered Clavier, and plans to write many more, he still loves the tension and deadlines of journalism. William is pictured here with one of his two young sons.

Reviews, blurb and more information about:
The Well-Tempered Clavier

Downloads:
Two-minute author video -- Bill talks about the book and plays Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier music on the piano.

Legend Press asks Bill some random questions:
Download bill_coles_spills_the_beans.pdf

Other links:
Bill's personal blog featuring the (fully fictional!) character of 'Idle Tom the publisher'
Writewords interview with Bill

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Nick Griffiths

Nick graduated from King's College, London, in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. By mistake. He managed to turn this around, becoming a journalist, on the music press (Sounds, Select), then women's magazines (New Woman, Options), before settling as a TV writer with Radio Times and the Daily Mail. He has also written for The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Time Out and others, and scripted the Sunday morning children's TV show, Dog & Dinosaur, for BBC Choice. His Doctor Who memoir, Dalek I Loved You, was published by Orion in 2007. He's a big fan of Bill Bryson and one day thought, "I could write something like that!", except he rarely travels anywhere, so he had to make it all up. In the Footsteps of Harrison Dextrose was the result.

More information about:
In the Footsteps of Harrison Dextrose

Downloads:
Legend Press ask Nick some random questions:Download the_nitty_gritty_from_nick_griffiths.pdf

Other links:
Nick's personal blog and website

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Josie Henley-Einion

Josie grew up in the Midlands and attended Bangor University in North Wales, stuudying Psychology and Linguistics. In 2002-05, Josie studied for Manchester Metropolitan University’s online MA in Creative Writing, during which Silence was written. She now lives in Cardiff, South Wales, with her civil partner Alys, their son and a host of furry friends. Her short stories have been published in Seven Days and Eight Hours (Legend Press) and is described as ‘author, blogger, legend in her own living room.’

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Lee Henshaw

Lee is credited by many to be the founding father of online PR. He started out with Way to Blue, a company which now has a team of over 40 and offices in London, Madrid, Paris, Rome and Berlin. As well as Queer Fish in God's Waiting Room, he also had an Oasis biography published in 1996. He plans to have at least one book published per decade and is currently working on a second novel. He lives in Stoke Newington with his wife, Claire, and two young children.

Reviews, blurb and more information about:
Queer Fish in God's Waiting Room

Downloads:
Audio recording of Lee reading from Queer Fish, with music from hip-hop artist Akira the Don: Download queer_fish_in_gods_waiting_room.mp3

Reading at the Queer Fish launch party

Other links:
Lee's 'Next to Hemingway' blogsite

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Philip Leslie

Philip is also the author of the prize-winning Brought to You by the Makers of Norriss Toothbrushes, which was also adapted for the stage and performed in both Edinburgh and London. He also works with BBC Radio Drama and is a musician and published composer.

Philip is the author of History of Us which is published on 30th May 2009.

 

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Sarah Ladipo Manyika

Sarah was raised in Nigeria and then lived in Kenya, England and France. She spent her undergraduate years in the Universities of Birmingham and Bordeaux and did her doctorate at UC Berkeley. She currently resides in San Francisco where she lectures in English literature at San Francisco State University, edits new works by African writers, and finds time for some writing of her own. She loves sunshine, laughter, and a good cappuccino. She loves playing basketball with her family, and she loves good stories - listening to them, imagining them, writing them, and telling them.

Other links:

Visit Sarah's website here

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Damian McNicholl

Damian McNicholl was born and educated in Northern Ireland and attended law school at University College, Cardiff in Wales. A SON CALLED GABRIEL was published in America in 2004 and was an American Booksellers Association Booksense Pick and Lambda Literary Awards finalist. He has appeared on CBS, WYBE Public Television, National Public Radio, Associated Press's syndicated BETWEEN THE LINES with Diana Jordan, Irish Radio Network USA's Adrian Flannelly Show among others to discuss his work. Currently living in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, he maintains a blog at http://damianm.blogspot.com and is at work on another novel.

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Candi Miller

Candi was born and educated in Africa, but now lives in England where she teaches Creative Writing. To research her first novel, Salt and Honey, she undertook an expedition to the Kalahari Desert to visit groups of San people. There she was caught up in one of the largest veld fires ever to sweep the sub-continent, charged by a bull elephant and enchanted by Ju/'hoansi story-telling around a campfire. Further books can be expected shortly.

Reviews, blurb and more information about:
Salt & Honey

Downloads:
Candi's full-page biography:
Download author_biography_candi_miller.pdf

Legend Press asks Candi some random questions:
Download candi_gets_grilled.pdf

Other links:
Survival International, the human rights charity which Candi chose to support with the launch of Salt & Honey
Writewords interview with Candi

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Gary William Murning

A writer from the north-east of England, I’m eclectic by nature — with an attention span that demands variety and high degrees of interest. My interests, writing aside, include literature, current affairs, music, the arts in general, skeptical enquiry — and anything that challenges (possibly flawed) widely accepted beliefs.

Visit Gary at www.garymurning.wordpress.com

 

 

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Mark Liam Piggott

“Fire Horses” author Mark Piggott has had short stories and poems published in anthologies, magazines and websites including Pulp Books, Aesthetica and 3AM; writes for Private Eye, satirical websites (including Home Defence) and various blogs; and as a journalist has had dozens of features published in the Times, Guardian, Telegraph, Independent, Cosmopolitan and many more.

More information about:
Fire Horses

Downloads:
Legend Press asks Mark some author questions:
Download mark_piggott_tells_it_how_it_is.pdf

Other links:
http://www.markpiggott.com/

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Catherine Richards

Catherine is Head of English at a secondary school in Rotherham and has been writing in some form or other since she could hold a pen; be it epic stories at school, play and sketches to perform with friends, or just keeping a diary. Things took a bit of a twist for Catherine's writing when she met Luke Bitmead on the BBC Get Writing Forum. They decided to work on a novel together, despite never actually meeting in person, and Heading South, a highly entertaining dual-perspective comedy, is the result.

Reviews, blurb and more information about:
Heading South

Other links:
Catherine on MySpace
Writewords interview with Catherine

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Rebecca Strong

A passion for books and writing from a young age led Rebecca to study French and Spanish at University College London and then become an active member of the Society of Young Publishers (SYP), starting by writing articles for its magazine, InPrint, and subsequently editing the magazine and holding a committee position for two years. She got married in July 2005 and (somehow) found the time to write her first novel, Here or There, in 2006. Rebecca is one of the 8 authors included in our new shop story collection 8 Rooms published in April 2009.

Reviews, blurb and more information about:
Here or There

Downloads:
Download rebecca_gives_us_a_few_answers.pdf

Other links:
Rebecca on MySpace
The SYP
Writewords interview with Rebecca

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Jae Watson

Jae lives in London though it was while studying Theology at Manchester University that she developed an interest in world belief an human psychology, both of which are reflected thoughtfully and emotionally in Journey - her first novel. Jae carries out social work on a part-time basis, devoting the rest of her time to writing. She has also played saxophone in 'Hoodwink', an all-female indie rock-band, and travelled extensively.

Reviews, blurb and more information about:
Journey

Other links:
Jae on MySpace
Writewords interview with Jae

OUR SHORT STORY WRITERS:                                                                        

Click here for reviews, blurbs and more information about the three titles in Legend Press' Short Story Reinvented series.

Jackie Blissett

Jackie is originally from the south of England but now lives in Sorrento, Italy, after having met her (now) husband while she was there on holiday. As a child and through school she wanted to be a writer and her choice to read English at the University of Plymouth reflected this. She now teaches English for business to various companies in Sorrento, and also English as a foreign language to private students. For the rest of the time she lets her creative writing take over her life – when she’s not being a housewife or mother that is! She and her husband have three boys, twins Andrea and Antonino, and little George.  Her story, ‘Maria’s Mother’ in Eight Hours is the first work she has had published.

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CJ Carver

C. J. is half English and half Kiwi. She is the author of five novels published by Orion, including CWA Debut Dagger Award winning novel Blood Junction. She lived in Australia for ten years before taking up long-distance rally driving. She has driven London to Saigon and London to Cape Town, both with an all-female crews. Her story was inspired by a drive through the remote Xinjiang Autonomous Region in China, a beautiful area of wilderness that is home to countless gulags.

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Kevin Chandler

For over two decades Kevin has trained RELATE counsellors and, despite devoting much of his time now to writing, still sustains a successful private practice of couple and individual therapy and supervision. He says that one benefit of a career listening to others' private personal stories is the insight it affords into intimate attachments. This understanding has produced a powerful and gripping story - 'Fifty-Minute Hour' - in Legend Press' new collection, Eight Hours.

Link: Kevin's website

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Justin Elliott

Justin lives in Gloucestershire and after finishing school worked in banking and insurance before deciding to become a writer. As well as having his story published in The Remarkable Everday, he has written two novels:Theft, and Beneath the Southern Cross.

 

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Daniel Gothard

Daniel Gothard studied creative writing at Ruskin College, Oxford and Bath Spa University. His previous work has appeared in Mix and The Poet Tree. Before becoming a writer he worked as a producer with the company he co-founded – Evolution Pictures Ltd. He lives in Oxford with his wife, Zoe, and their three children – Jasmine, Joe and Nate. Daniel's story 'A Thousand Dreams' is the last in the Eight Hours collection.

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Josie Henley-Einion

Having studied Psychology and Linguistics at university, Josie has since worked in a variety of jobs including research, health and social care and computer programming. She lives in Cardiff with her civil partner Alys, who is also a writer, and their son. Josie is extremely interested in the history and incidence of lesbianism, and how attitudes have changed in general society as well as within the LGBT community. This is reflected in her story Sunday in Seven Days. She is also one of the authors in the new collection, Eight Hours, her story is the first in the collection.

Downloads and links:
Legend Press asks Josie some author questions:
Download josie_henleyeinion_in_the_spotlight.pdf

You can visit Josie’s personal website at www.josiehenley.net and find her on MySpace at www.myspace.com/josie_henley

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Lea Hurst

Arriving in England just in time for the last of the swinging sixties, Lea worked as a teacher for children with special educational needs. After retiring, she turned to writing and her talent was immediately recognised, being shortlisted for a festival award before being published in The Remarkable Everyday.

 

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Sarah James

After her degree at Trinity College Oxford, Sarah became an award-winning journalist before taking a career break to have children. She now fits in writing short-fiction and poetry around looking after her two young sons. Sarah is a prolific writer and has had many of her short stories and poems published, including her story Monday in The Remarkable Everyday.

Downloads and links:
Legend Press gives Sarah our set of author questions:
Download sarah_james_speaks_to_legend_press.pdf

You can visit Sarah's prose and poetry blog, entitled 'The Mother of all Blogs', here.

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Anwar Khokar

Anwar is a writer, stand-up comic, and physician based in Minneapolis. He grew up in Islamabad, Pakistan, received his medical degree in Karachi, and moved to the United States in 2001 (just weeks after 9/11) for post-graduate training. His story Thursday in Seven Days reflects his experience of what it can be like to be caught between two cultures.

 

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Andrew Kirby

Andy has published a large number of short stories in a variety of media, including print anthologies, magazines and journals, on-line and as downloadable pod casts. He was awarded third prize in the Luke Bitmead Writer’s Bursary competition 2008 judged by a panel including best-selling authors Deborah Wright and Zoe Jenny. He is currently engaged in writing a sitcom. Andy lives in Oakwood, Leeds, with his girlfriend and kitten, Eric who provided inspiration for the cat in his short story in 8 Rooms.

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Mark Kotting

Mark was born and bred in London, and moved to Sydney for a while to look at the surf. He is the author of Nappy Rash, published by Wrecking Ball Press in 2005. He has written TV and radio comedy including two plays for BBC Radio The Match, 2007 and Gulf, 2008. Mark is a London Cab Driver, who once played second division Rugby League.

 

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Hilary Lloyd

Hilary is retired and writing furiously (in all senses of the word). She trained as a nursery nurse and then primary teacher, but her best-loved work came in later life when she spent fourteen years on a Shropshire smallholding rearing sheep, geese and hens. Though a life-long scribbler, it was during this time that she began to write 'seriously' on discovering it was the perfect antidote to the hard physical graft of farming. Hilary has had numerous articles and short stories published, and also been awarded several writing prizes. Her story, 'The Moon on a Stick', is included in Eight Hours.

 

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Sophie Mackintosh

Living in Pembrokeshire, Sophie is a young writer with a great future ahead of her. She has been writing for as long as she can remember and likes to challenge herself by writing from very different perspectives. This was evident in her story published in The Remarkable Everyday, which portrayed a mother coming to terms with the tragic loss of her daughter.

 

 

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Guy Mankowski

Guy was raised on the Isle of Wight before being taught by monks at Ampleforth College, York. After graduating with a Masters from Newcastle University and a Psychology degree from Durham, Guy formed ‘a Dickensian pop band’ called Alba Nova, releasing one EP. After that he started working as a psychologist at The Royal Hospital in London, writing his story during any free moment he could get. Guy now works at a psychotherapy clinic in Newcastle. The setting and mood of the story was inspired by the front cover of the Tubeway Army album Replicas.

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Liilia Morrison

Liilia is a painter, poet and writer living in Homestead, Florida. She has travelled extensively, meeting scores of fascinating people many of whom have been characterised in her extensive work. She is also the founder and editor of newsletter Arttalks and has had both prose and poetry published. She has been influenced by the strong Mayan presence in Homestead and this has proved the basis for her main character in Tuesday, which is included in Seven Days.

 

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Victoria Mottram

Victoria is Legend Press' only Antarctica-based writer, currently working as an overwintering doctor at Halley Research Station. When still a medical student, she spent two months working at a medical centre for the homeless, and also did voluntary work with people living on the streets in Newcastle, the setting for her story Wednesday in Seven Days.

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Brett Pransky

An American Midwesterner, Brett is a poet and short fiction writer with an admirable list of publishing and academic successes. As well as his story being chosen by Legend Press for The Remarkable Everyday, his work can also be found in Carnelian, Remark, The Gator Springs Gazette and Antimuse, to name just a few. Brett holds undergraduate degrees in English and Philosophy/Pre-Law and is currently teaching at Ohio University in exchange for free tuition and a modest pay-cheque, both of which he is using to obtain an advanced degree in Rhetoric and Composition.

Visit Brett's blog at http://brettpransky.blogspot.com/

 

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C L Raven

Cathryn and Lynsey are 25-year-old twins from Cardiff, writing under a joint pen-name. They find that being twins is great for team writing as their work blends seamlessly into one narrative voice, and no one can tell that two pens have been in operation. As Goths, they know what it's like to be subjected to abuse by teenagers and how a thirst for revenge is always present, and this is powerfully reflected in their story, 'End of Innocence', in Eight Hours. Bullying has left the twins socially phobic but they say that rarely leaving the house is great for their writing, they get to write all day surrounded by their many animals and don't have to waste their time with 'real' work.

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D E Rhylis

D.E was born in Stoke-on-Trent, and spent her childhood moving around Great Britain due to her father’s job. She is a self confessed travel lover and has worked abroad as a head nurse in Saudi Arabia. As a qualified nurse, wife, mother and grandmother she has a different perspective on life and death. D.E. met her present husband whilst working abroad and got married in America.

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Anca Scott

Anca lives in America and graduated from Northwestern College in 2002 with a degree in youth ministry. Anca is a practicing Christian and part of the gothic subculture, two things that she has had to reconcile to one another as part of defining her identity. This struggle is thoughtfully illustrated through the protaganist in her story Saturday, which is featured in Seven Days. (Photo credited to Krista Wille).

Downloads:
Legend Press asks Anca some author questions:
Download anca_scott_answers_our_questions.pdf

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E C Seaman

Emma is Legend Press' only author to be published in all four short story collections in the Short Story Reinvented series. Having studied English at Oxford, she only began writing again a few years ago having given up 'working on her first novel' to start on her second instead. She has been widely published and has won numerous short story prizes. She lives in Devon with her husband and two young daughters.

 

 

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Andrew Theophilou

A second-generation Greek Cypriot having grown up in North London, Andrew spent over ten years studying and working abroad, teaching English at various universities, fighting corruption in Latin America with an international NGO, and copywriting. He has now returned to London to work as a freelance journalist and is concentrating on his first novel while also writing short stories including Friday, the first in the collection Seven Days.

Andrew is on MySpace at www.myspace.com/theophilou 

 

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Nick Tyler

Nick has written his entire life, always daydreaming and jotting notes down for story ideas in his classes (which didn’t lead to terrific grades). A little over a year ago, he discovered fanstory.com. He admits to being extremely nervous the first time he posted his work on the site, but the feedback was better than he expected and he became hooked. After winning some contests, he decided he’d give the Legend Press ‘Single Hour’ contest a go and his story, ‘Needs’ was selected for publication in Eight Hours. Nick is married and lives in North Carolina. He and his wife are expecting their first child this April.

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Joel Willans

British born, Joel Willans has travelled throughout the world and lived in Canada, Finland and Peru. He has a degree in History and studied creative writing at The London School of Journalism. He currently works as a copywriter for a Helsinki ad agency. When not writing slogans, he writes fiction. As well as The The Remarkable Everyday, his short stories have appeared in four other anthologies and over twenty magazines. In the last year, he has also won prizes, been highly commended and shortlisted in more than fifteen short story competitions.

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Miranda Winram

Miranda lives in Yorkshire with a one eyed dog and a black fluffy cat, neither of whom approve of her new habit of ignoring them and typing madly away at fictional stories. Miranda’s story was inspired by her own brief stay in a Yorkshire burns unit and by the wonderful people she once met at a Sheffield women’s refuge. It is Miranda’s first published fiction writing.

 

 

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Miguel Ylareina

Winner of the Legend Press short story competition for The Remarkable Everyday, run in conjunction with FanStory.com, Miguel is based in Canada and has written and lectured on technical subjects for over ten years. Growing up in an intensely multicultural setting, he developed a keen interest in cultural and racial issues, which often feature in his work.

 

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