Barry A. Whittingham

On graduating with a bachelor degree in French Language and Literature Barry stepped innocently into the world of work as a commercial supervisor for a large brewery. He quickly realized, however, that a career in beer wasn’t quite his cup of tea and went back to university to train as a French teacher. After two years teaching in a secondary school he successfully applied to spend a year as an English teacher in a lycée as part of an official exchange scheme. It proved such a fascinating, mind-opening experience that he decided to make France his permanent home. It was a decision he's never regretted. Barry has now retired from the English teaching, translation and interpreting business he set up more than 40 years ago and divides his time between golf, gardening, foreign travel, 19th century French, English and American fiction … and, of course, creative writing. He lives a quiet, contemplative life with his French partner, Renée, in the mountains of the Jura region of Eastern France.