Author Biographies

We've got a fantastic group of authors here at Paperbooks - 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:                                                                                           

Paul Burman

Paul was born in Northamptonshire, England, but currently lives in Victoria, Australia.  He’s worked in a wine-bottling factory, a deep freeze, a plumbing warehouse, the Post Office, as well as being a maize ‘castrator’ in the south of France … and he once had a newspaper round until a neighbour’s dog bit him.  Having decided to never become a teacher, he became a teacher and has been learning how to teach English and Literature ever since.  He has been compulsively reading and writing fiction from the age of six – which may be the result of a childhood indiscretion in which he was caught inadvertently telling the truth.  Making up stories has remained a happy obsession ever since.

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Gary Davison

Gary left school at seventeen and worked as a trainee land surveyor, a trainee site engineer and then a demolition estimator. Feeling restless he left England to go backpacking with his girlfriend (now wife) through Asia and Australia doing various jobs including fruit picking, packing electrical goods and stock taking at Elizabeth Arden. After a brief period in the UK as a civil engineering quantity surveyor Gary travelled the world again. In the year 2000 on their way back from America, Gary gave up smoking and took up writing and now works part-time to devote himself to writing.

 

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Mo Foster

Mo has performed poetry and written for the theatre. She taught creative writing for a number of years and has run writers’ groups. She now writes full time – including journalism for a number of publications.

 

 

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Jessica Gregson

Jessica Gregson, 28, has a degree in Anthropology from Cambridge and a Masters in Development from LSE. Jessica has worked as a policy advisor for the home office and a humanitarian worker in Sudan. Jessica has just started a PhD at SOAS in London.

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Mark Hayhurst

Mark was brought up in and lives in Yorkshire – realising its only widespread representation so far was four old men in a tin bath and a farm that a plane crashed into, he knew that a flipside was needed. He doesn’t see the point in writing anything that doesn’t provoke a response so don’t be surprised to feel repulsed, shocked, offended and a little ashamed at yourself for what you end up finding funny. Hayhurst was inspired by the comedy troupe, The League of Gentlemen, to write comedy sketches. Friday at the Nobody Inn began as a comedy sketch, lengthened into a script and then finalised as a novel. Hayhurst is the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the band, P.L.U.K., formerly known as Planet Lounge. P.L.U.K has toured with Shed Seven, Kaiser Chiefs, and Corinne Bailey Rae.

 

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Jon Haylett

Jon was born in East Africa and after being educated in England travelled and worked in the Caribbean and north, central and southern Africa. He now lives in the Scottish Highlands with his wife and four children and takes an active part in community life.

He has been writing for eighteen years and has completed ten novels and forty short stories. He has won the 2003 Bridport International Short Story Prize and the 2005 Royal Society of Literature VS Pritchett Memorial Prize.

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Michael Marr

Michael was bornand raised in Weston-super-Mare. After graduating from Hull University he worked for many years in computer systems and then in insurance marketing before deciding to give it all up for a proper career in writing. Michael is a part-time lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and is just completing a PhD in Creative Writing. Michael relaxes by playing bowls, swimming and finding excuses for research trips.