Born in Hampshire in 1950, I was educated at the Peter Symonds Grammar School for boys, Winchester. My family were members of the Plymouth Brethren, a fundamentalist Christian movement that kept aloof from mainstream society and insisted on the literal truth of the Bible. The effects of being brought up in that environment, and my eventual journey away from fundamentalism, are described in Part One of my book.
From 1969 to 1973, I studied European languages and literature at Oxford University and had a career in teaching in the UK before becoming a translator, editor and publications author for the European Commission in Brussels. In the early 2000s I was speechwriter for President Romano Prodi and Vice-President Margot Wallstrom.
I am married to Catherine, who is Belgian, and we have two daughters.
I have always enjoyed explaining things to people who want to learn and understand, which is why I became a teacher.
I have always enjoyed using languages, which is why I became a translator.
I have always loved writing, and retirement gives me the time to focus on subjects dear to my heart.
The result is this book, ‘Beyond Belief’. It's a bit late in life to write a first book, you may say: but then it's never too late to do the right thing. ("Il n'est jamais trop tard pour bien faire").