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J D WELCH
A Brief Bio of Jo
An only child from Stockport, I had fantastic parents and a lovely home - but no children's books and no piano. A kind neighbour had both - and immediately I was hooked. The local library provided me with books, but I hadn't my own piano until my parents realised I was serious and found a cheap secondhand upright for me when I was 12.
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By then I was at Withington Girls' School, where I loved almost every lesson, except PE, Geography and sewing.
I next went to Oxford University (Wadham college) where I studied Chemistry. Afterwards I held various marketing and sales management roles in the agrochemicals, aluminium and electrical engineering industries, before becoming a mother, a carer ... and aspiring writer.
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My first children's book was The Einstein Code. After a few years of developing as a writer and composing other books, I returned to The Einstein Code trilogy, because it involved my favourite characters. After a final rewrite, it was published March 31st 2016 - the date Ben's adventure begins.
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Then my adventure began too. I love visiting schools and libraries to discuss writing, code cracking and Einstein. Would you like me to visit yours? Please drop me a line if so.
Alternative Bio -Through Books
As you'll see from my email, I've always loved books, which are as essential to me as food. I was first hooked by Enid Blyton's Five On A Treasure Island, provided by my lovely Aunty Vick. I thanked her with what was supposed be an 8 page thriller, The Haunted House, but at 6 it was a daunting task. I finally gave up the ghost on page 4. Years later I was stunned to find she'd kept it evermore.
I exhausted the Heatons' library's supply of Enid Blyton then most other adventure books adn thrillers, except Swallows and Amazons, of which I only managed a couple of books, since sailing was an alien world to a Stockport lass. A kind neighbour gave me the complete Narnia and some myths and legends. At junior school I loved Penelope Lively, The Water Babies, Treasure Island, Peter Pan and lots more myths and legends.
And then I discovered Agatha Christie. And Sherlock Holmes. And P G Wodehouse (I also love laughing). And Mary Stewart, E M Forster, Dorothy L Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, L P Hartley, F Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway, Barbara Pym, Graham Greene, Charles Dickens, Nancy Mitford, Katherine Mansfield, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Cold Comfort Farm, which got me through high school and university.
I also find existence fascinating, so read Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time to find out how the universe began; Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene, The Ancestor's Tale and many others to find out how life developed; Steve Jones' The Language of the Genes to learn more about the amazing code for life; Roger Penrose's The Emperor's New Mind and Susan Greenfield's The Human Brain, to learn about thought and consciousness. Plus Ian Mortimer's Edward III The Perfect King, Dan Jones' The Plantagenets and Michael Hicks' Richard III, among others, to learn more about British history. So many more to explore!
Working meant more books were needed. I was thrilled to discover A S Byatt, Kate Atkinson, Sebastian Faulks, Julian Barnes, Ian McEwan, Jane Gardam, Kazuo Ishiguro, Robert Harris, Khaled Hosseini, Penelope Fitzgerald, Susan Hill, P. D. James, Val McDermid and William Boyd to add to old favourites, which I love re-reading. Another passion is music, so I was delighted to find autobiographies of my favourite artists: Ella Fitzgerald, Erroll Garner, The Beatles, Jerome Kern and Stephen Sondheim - yes I love musicals too.
Having children was fantastic! I could discover new favourites! For very young readers: Julia Donaldson, Tony Ross and Each, Peach, Pear Plum. For growing readers: Harry Potter quickly became a firm family favourite. Other children's / YA books I love include those of Philip Pullman, Malorie Blackman, Geraldine McCaughrean, Anthony Horowitz and Melvin Burgess ; particular favourites are: Tim Lott's Fearless, Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief, I Am Apache by Tanya Landman, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon and Catherine Fisher's Incarceron.
And mystery / thrillers? Favourite current authors include Kate Atkinson (her Jackson Brodie books as well as all her others), Ian Rankin and J K Rowling's Robert Galbraith books. Funny, they all live or have lived in Edinburgh. What is it about that great city? Looking forward to finding out ...