Jon Mayhew

Jon Mayhew writes adventures for children aged eight and beyond. He also writes books for primary reading schemes. His Victorian gothic adventure, Mortlock, was shortlisted for the Waterstones children’s book prize and won the Leeds, Calderdale, Sefton and Warwickshire children’s book awards. His second book, The Demon Collector, won the Wirral paperback of the year. His current series, Monster Odyssey, is the story of a young Captain Nemo and begins to track the hero’s journey from Indian prince to tortured antihero, incorporating a fistful of sea monsters, subterranean dinosaurs and pirates along the way. He has also contributed an article about writing for children to The Children’s Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. A teacher for twenty five years, Jon is passionate about encouraging young writers and readers. He delivers writing workshops in schools and is a patron of reading for two high schools. Jon lives with his family on the Wirral peninsula. Traditional ballads and tales have long been the compost for Jon’s imaginative roots. He loves traditional music and song and plays mandolin in ceilidh bands. He is currently working on a standalone novel for children, weaving strands of Welsh border mythology and the Mabinogi and hopes that his time in Aberystwyth will help him deepen his knowledge and appreciation of these influences.