James Green (author)
Encyclopedia
James "Jim" Green is a British writer and broadcaster who turned to writing as a full time profession after a 25 year career in teaching. He has had over 40 titles published in various genres, from educational text books to travel guides to crime novels. His latest publication is called Yesterday's Sins (2010 Luath), the third and final part of a trilogy chronicling the exploits of reformed gangster Jimmy Costello.
, Warwickshire
. His parents, James and Bridget Green, were both natives of County Durham
in the north of England and his family retains a strong link to that area. He was the second of three children, his brothers being Michael (b.1938) and Francis 'Frank', (1948–2001).
, Gibraltar
, South Yorkshire
, Leicestershire
and Shropshire
.
for primary schools A Wordhunter's Companion was his first best-seller and remains in print in several countries to date having been translated into a number of languages. A number of titles in the fields of history, travel, humour and poetry followed achieving varying levels of success. Whilst Green varied his genres of writing, educational titles remained his most frequently published genre until his retirement from teaching due to ill health.
, an anthology of poetry with cartoonist Bill Tidy
and Christian
guide to London
. He recently penned a trilogy of crime thrillers featuring the reformed gangster Jimmy Costello, the third title Yesterday's Sins was published in Autumn 2010. Green is currently working on a number of new projects, including a new novel set in 19th Century America.
Bad Catholics was nominated for The CWA John Creasy (New Blood) Dagger at the 2009 Crime Thriller Awards.
, they met in Coventry
whilst both holding junior teaching positions.
Green currently lives in Newark
, Nottinghamshire
. Green and his family have previously lived in Berwick-upon-Tweed
, Telford
, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
, Sheffield
, Leicester
and Coventry
. Their two surviving sons (Dominic died in an avalanche
on Mont Blanc
in Chamonix
in 1997) both live in the UK, Joe in Leicester
, James in London
.
Green is a keen golfer and fan of snooker
and the Tour De France
. He is a devotee of the author P G Wodehouse and pre-World War II
jazz
.
Early life
Green was born, raised and attended school in CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. His parents, James and Bridget Green, were both natives of County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
in the north of England and his family retains a strong link to that area. He was the second of three children, his brothers being Michael (b.1938) and Francis 'Frank', (1948–2001).
Teaching
Green left school at 16 with no educational qualifications of note and via a variety of short spells in a number of jobs he found himself in teaching by his early 20's. Over the next thirty years he held positions of varying seniority in WarwickshireWarwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
and Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
.
Turn to writing
By the 1970s Green was a rising primary headteacher and began writing educational books as a personal sideline. A ThesaurusThesaurus
A thesaurus is a reference work that lists words grouped together according to similarity of meaning , in contrast to a dictionary, which contains definitions and pronunciations...
for primary schools A Wordhunter's Companion was his first best-seller and remains in print in several countries to date having been translated into a number of languages. A number of titles in the fields of history, travel, humour and poetry followed achieving varying levels of success. Whilst Green varied his genres of writing, educational titles remained his most frequently published genre until his retirement from teaching due to ill health.
Full time writing
After retiring from teaching in the 1990s Green has been a full time writer and publisher. He wrote and had published a wide variety of publications such as a history of WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, an anthology of poetry with cartoonist Bill Tidy
Bill Tidy
William Edward "Bill" Tidy, MBE , is a British cartoonist, writer and television personality, known chiefly for his comic strips. Bill was awarded an MBE in 2000 for "Services to Journalism". He is noted for his charitable work, particularly for the Lord's Taverners, which he has supported for over...
and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
guide to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He recently penned a trilogy of crime thrillers featuring the reformed gangster Jimmy Costello, the third title Yesterday's Sins was published in Autumn 2010. Green is currently working on a number of new projects, including a new novel set in 19th Century America.
Bad Catholics was nominated for The CWA John Creasy (New Blood) Dagger at the 2009 Crime Thriller Awards.
Personal life
Green is married to wife of 41 years, Pat Green (née Brennan, 1946) and they have had three children; Dominic (1972–1997), James (b.1973) and Joe (b.1981). His wife Pat was born in Grimsby and raised in NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, they met in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
whilst both holding junior teaching positions.
Green currently lives in Newark
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. Green and his family have previously lived in Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
, Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. Their two surviving sons (Dominic died in an avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
on Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
in Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
in 1997) both live in the UK, Joe in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, James in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Green is a keen golfer and fan of snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
and the Tour De France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
. He is a devotee of the author P G Wodehouse and pre-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
External links
- Personal Profile http://www.amazon.co.uk/James-Green/e/B001KIKSPI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 at Amazon.co.uk