JOANNA STEPHEN-WARD
AUTHOR
| I
was born in the Australian outback but grew up in Melbourne. The
daughter of a nurse and an army officer, my earliest ambitions
were to be a writer or actress. My exclusive education at St Michaels
Grammar School was wasted because I spent my days dreaming. Most
of the final year at school was spent furtively writing a novel
in the back of the classroom. Set on the German occupied Island
of Jersey during World War II it was the first attempt at writing
fiction.
When I was seventeen I began having singing lessons from Gertrude Johnson, the charismatic founder of the National Theatre. After three years at The National Theatre Opera School, I knew my voice was not good enough to become a professional opera singer. Nevertheless Gertrude Johnson had left a profound impression on me. The seeds of Vissi d’arte took root. Disappointed about not being able to follow a singing career, I went to Europe and spent a year travelling. Five years later I returned to Australia, but was unable to settle. Feeling my destiny lay in England, I returned in 1983. I began working for The National Health Service, while attending part time drama school at Questors Theatre in Ealing. In 1985 I married, Peter, an architect, in the ancient church of St Peter’s in Petersham. We joined the Richmond Writers’ Circle in 1997 and I became the chairman eighteen months later. Along with four others in the circle I founded The Writers’ Room, a performance group, which gives poets, writers and singers an opportunity to showcase their work. I am now in charge of publicity and communications for the writers' circle, and organiser of the performance group. I work full time at The National Archives in Kew. (Formerly The Public Record Office) I
am working on my second novel, Eumeralla - use this link
for more about
Eumeralla.. |
