Peter J Murray was born in 1951 and brought up on a council estate in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. He left school with few qualifications, feeling ill suited to an academic lifestyle, and followed in the family tradition of working in the dangerous steel works of Sheffield. What happened over the next 30 years is an amazing story ...
First of all Pete went back to school at the age of 21. No discos, no late nights, no girlfriends, no soccer matches, no ... Don't you believe it; he did all of those things and still managed to find time for school work. At the end of his studies he won a place at Cambridge University where he specialised in metallurgy and gained a Masters Degree in 1979. After a spell in Dubai working in the petro-chemical industry he decided he needed a change. He dabbled in teaching - loved working with kids and never looked back. After working in several comprehensive schools he became Assistant Headmaster of Cheam School - quite a 'posh school' in Pete's own words (Prince Philip and Prince Charles are both ex-pupils). From the gritty back streets of Rotherham to the leafy suburbs of Berkshire - quite a transformation. Despite his change in surroundings Pete remained a Yorkshireman through and through; down to earth with a great sense of humour.
Peter has always been a story-teller and a practical joker. Entertaining pupils with stories of spooky characters and unusual happenings was the ideal breeding ground for the creation for many of the characters that appear in Pete's current novels. To give up the security of teaching in one of the most well-respected schools in the country to become a full time author was a huge gamble for Pete to take, especially when his first book had been rejected by all the leading publishers. Peter self published his first book: Mokee Joe is Coming in 2003. To Pete's amazement his book won the prestigious Sheffield Children's Book Award voted for by 112 schools. The rest, as they say, is history. Peter is now one of the UK's leading children's authors and tours schools all over the UK and abroad, travelling as far afield as Saudi Arabia and Bangkok.After a recent successful tour of New York, he is currently establishing firm links with America. The Mokee Joe books are proving to be a huge success there. With over 500 school visits under his belt, Peter is one of the most sought after visiting authors and is renowned for inspiring even the most reluctant children to want to read (especially boys!)
Peter lives with his wife on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. He says that the hills and limestone scenery offer a constant source of relaxation and inspiration - in fact, they also provide the setting for Peter's sixth book, Moonwailer.
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