Bernard Ashley lives in Charlton, south east London, only a street or so from where he was born. During his career as a teacher and headteacher he worked in Kent, Hertfordshire, Newham and Greenwich.

Bernard Ashley lives in Charlton, south east London, only a street or so from where he was born. During his career as a teacher and headteacher he worked in Kent, Hertfordshire, Newham and Greenwich.

He is now writing full time. His first novel, THE TROUBLE WITH DONOVAN CROFT, was published in 1974 and won the 'Other' Award, an alternative to the Carnegie Medal (for which he has been a runner-up twice). Thirteen further novels have followed, gaining him a reputation as a 'gritty' writer in sympathy with the under dog. In Margaret Meek's view he gets inside children's heads, who say that this is what it's like for them.

Bernard's latest novel is REVENGE HOUSE, a thriller for teenagers. Before that came LITTLE SOLDIER.

Television work has included RUNNING SCARED (from which he wrote the novel) and his adaptation of his own DODGEM which won the Royal Television Society award as the best children's entertainment of its year. Bernard's adaptation of his JUSTIN AND THE DEMON DROP KICK, made by Carlton, was shown in fifteen countries. A strong family man, Bernard is married to Iris Ashley, until recently a London headteacher, and they have three sons. Their eldest, Chris, also a headteacher, co-wrote with Bernard the TV series Three Seven Eleven, and his latest book WASIM IN THE DEEP END is published by Red Fox. David is a London headteacher and an expert on literacy, and Jonathan is an actor and playwright, whose new play 'Stiffs' was recently staged in North London. They have four grandchildren, Paul, Carl, Rosie and Luke.

Bernard is on the Board of Governors at the Greenwich Theatre and is a member of the BAFTA Children's Awards Committee.

Books by Bernard Ashley

Little Soldier

by Bernard Ashley