The author of around 30 books for children including the hilarious Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face series and the Oscar's Book Prize 2018 winner There’s a Pig Up My Nose, John is also a poet and songwriter, as well as a popular and tremendously entertaining performer at schools and festivals both nationally and internationally. A former teacher, who taught in a number of Beanstalk schools in London, he’s passionate about the importance of reading for pleasure, which is why he’s delighted to be a supporter of Coram Beanstalk. 

Born in Northern Ireland, John lives in Gloucestershire with his two children. He was one of the first Patrons of Reading in the country, and is currently Patron of Reading at Minchinhampton Primary School, as well as a patron of the Chipping Norton Literary Festival and a former chair of CWIG, the Children’s Writers & Illustrators Group of the Society of Authors.

To introduce a child to the pleasure of reading is to give them a gift of immeasurable value, one that will help them to find their place in the world. This is why I support Coram Beanstalk.

The Oscar's Book Prize 2018 winner - There’s a Pig Up My Nose