Authors : The boy with the violet eyes

About the Authors

I wasn’t always a writer. After university, I was a lorry driver for years. It was fun manoeuvring a big vehicle and I didn’t have anyone there telling me what to do. I did some teaching for a while, but I decided school wasn’t for me. You may have thought the same.

When I stopped driving for Eddie Stobart, I started writing seriously for people like you – fresh, enthusiastic people, fun and full of ideas. Most grown-ups are too sensible to go in for fun or ideas. I don’t really do sensible.

As a child I always wanted to live in a castle, and for ten years I did. My wife thought some heating would be good, so now we live in an old chapel with two sheep and a view of the Roman Wall. My children are (sort of) grown up, but they’re doing what they always wanted to do. One works in historic buildings; the other studies violin.

I work for individuals, publishers, companies and universities as a writer, editor, indexer and proofreader. When I’m not working, I read with children, play piano, train other editors, build stone walls and think.

Feroz came to me with this film script. I liked it. I thought it created some amazing images. In writing the story of Jack and Meena, I’ve become very fond of them. I think you will too.

I came to England at the age of 12, and my first two years were spent entirely in learning to speak, read and write English. After that I had to catch up with everyone else at school, but I worked hard and eventually went to university and got a degree in chemical engineering.

Since then I have worked in industry and even run my own business, but now I teach mathematics and sciences. In between I have achieved my lifelong ambition of writing a novel, together with Gerard, my co-author.

I have always been fascinated by the intriguing stories of the Raksas, the most ferocious and evil demon in Hindi mythology, who is intent on causing havoc and destruction among all good beings. Hence our first novel is based around this infamous character. It combines fantasy with reality to stretch the imagination, because we can hardly imagine what other worlds the universe holds. Who knows?

We can visit your school, library or other group. One of us will be happy to come and talk to a class or year group (years 4 to 9), to introduce some of the ideas in The boy with the violet eyes and read excerpts from the book. We ask a modest fee and expenses.