Roy had a largely uneventful childhood until the front garden of his house disappeared down an enormous hole overnight. Although it was pretty dramatic, he has noticed that the more he tells the story the deeper the hole becomes. One of his hobbies as a boy was collecting football stickers. Now that he is an adult, he collects university qualifications. First in the bag was a History degree from Oxford, followed by an English degree from the Open University and an MA in Chinese Studies from SOAS. On the way he also picked up a postgraduate diploma in Lake District Studies from Lancaster University, which meant spending a lot of time up various fells.
As a child, Roy often skived PE lessons, only to discover in his twenties that he was quite quick on his feet. Taking up Athletics, he spent many happy hours pounding around Walney Island so that he could compete in sprint competitions across the North-West of England. As he moved into his thirties, he took up middle distance running, which was less intense but not quite as much fun.
Roy’s first novel for adults, Between Darkness and Light, the story of a translator with the Chinese Labour Corps during World War I, was published in 2019 by Eyrie Press. He is also the author of three non-fiction books: Out of the Classroom and Into the World; 50 Books for Life; and Did Jesus Go To School?
His debut children’s novel, The Race, which features Eric ‘Chariots of Fire’ Liddell, the hero of the 1924 Olympics, and introduces Lili, a young athlete with her own point to prove, will be published by Cranachan in early 2021.
Roy lives with his wife, two daughters, two dogs, two cats, one rabbit, one tortoise, and a few fish. When he isn’t spending time with his family, writing books, or looking after the menagerie, Roy is a teacher and charity worker. You can find out more about his work at roypeachey.com and follow him on Twitter @roy_peachey