Kingston University London

Writing From Home

How to use your own life as the starting point for fiction, from two writers who have done just that. Catherine Jones based several novels on her first career in the Army and her latest book is grounded in her favourite kind of holiday. Sophie King’s first book The School Run struck an immediate chord with readers and she has now published four more books. Chaired by Alison Baverstock.

Biography - Catherine Jones

Catherine Jones joined the army straight from her all-girls school because the ratio of men to women was 500:1. She had to leave the army when she married and started a family and in a brief moment of boredom during the 5 years when she produced 3 children and moved house 6 times, she wrote her first book. Since then she's carried on with the books but given up getting pregnant and moving house.

 

 

Biography - Sophie King

Sophie King is the pen name for journalist Jane Bidder. She is the author of the best-selling novels The School Run and Mums @ Home.

Sophie King's books are aimed at teenagers, mums and grans or anyone else who can identify with a chaotic family life. Sophie has three children, a dog, a cat and a sleepy terrapin – all of whom make her laugh or cry, depending on how she feels.

As Jane Bidder, she has written for The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, Woman, Woman’s Weekly, My Weekly, Good Housekeeping and many other national publications.

She has interviewed several big celebrities including her childhood hero David Essex, Michael Palin, Penny Vincenzi, Deborah Moggach, Julie Walters, Nigel Havers, Carolyn Quentin, Lord Lichfield, Martina Cole, Linda Robson, Lesley Joseph, Barbara Taylor Bradford and countless others.

Sophie also writes short stories and teaches creative writing.

www.sophieking.info/index.htm

Biography - Alison Baverstock

A publisher, she began to write about publishing and now, in addition to writing, teaches Creative Writing, Marketing and Publishing at Kingston University. Her particular speciality is writing about how to write and get published; Is there a book in you? and Marketing Your Book, An Author’s Guide have sold very well. She also writes about balancing work life and family, and is the co-author, with educator Gill Hines, of the bestselling Whatever! A Down To Earth Guide To Parenting Teenagers.

She is regularly interviewed in the media about writing, publishing and parenting and has appeared on Richard and Judy, BBC Breakfast, Woman’s Hour and Bookshelf.

She lives in Kingston with her husband and they have four teenage children.

www.alisonbaverstock.com