About the Author

James Apps emigrated to the Isle of Sheppey after wandering around the Antipodes for half his life. Born in the Medway Towns, and spending much of his time as a Fitter and Turner in Kent he boarded a ship in Southampton and sailed to New Zealand where he worked in the trade with a hop across the Tasman to South Australia and Tasmania during the mid 1970's. It was as a result of an industrial injury, and being forced to give up working as a tradesman that he began writing and reading poetry in public, in pubs and hals and on Community Radio. In 1995, encouraged by an insightful consultant at the Takapuna job centre in Auckland he enrolled at Auckland University as a mature student, although some might say - ripe - and gained a Masters in English Literature. Deciding that family ties in the UK were a stronger attraction than poverty in New Zealand James returned in 2000 with Sophie the cat, living with his Sister and Brother in Law and then Friends until crossing the Swale to live on the Isle of Sheppey. He worked as Teaching Assistant in Sittingbourne and is now retired pursuing his interests of writing, painting and taking part in local activities.