John Kirkaldy

I have always loved books with a passion and have always done a lot of book reviewing. I have been a regular reviewer for Books Ireland for over 40 years.
 
I have written two books: one on a 70-year old’s gap year and the other, a novella debating the role of luck and fortune in people’s lives.
 
I have always done a lot of freelance writing for newspapers and magazines, especially on travel and education. I am doing more of this since I retired from full-time teaching. This ranges from the New Statesman to The Lady. Much to the horror of my Guardian reading friends, I have even been published in the Daily Mail (non-political – travel)!
 
I am a relatively newcomer to writing short stories. One major success; a couple of minor successes and the usual handful of also rans.