John Matthews

Hi. I'm John Matthews. I've written nearly 200 books over the last 50 years or so. Books about many things. Pirates, King Arthur and the Grail Quest, Faeries, Robin Hood,Spring-Heeled Jack, and many more. I love folklore, history and film and I recently began writing for movies and TV, creating documentaries, TV scripts and motion pictures. I have also created 13 divinatory systems, tarots etc and have worked with some of the finest artists in the world, including Brian Froud, Charles Vess, Will Worthington, Andre Aste, Charles Newington, Yvonne Gilbert and Wil Kinghan. I have also written many books with my partner Caitlin Matthews, with whom I sometimes think I share a brain, and who knows what I'm thinking before I think it. I was going to put a picture of my cat Willow here, but i guess you might rather see me. I recently began to write books for younger readers, including graphic novels and the fabulous StoryWorld series. This year (2018) set the publication of the first in a series of long planned novels about the young King Arthur and his education by Merlin. Its called The Sword of Ice and Fire, the first of a quartet with the overall title Red Dragon Rising. Even after so many books I still felt a real thrill when the author's copies arrived on my desk. Writing so many books has always been hard work and it continues to be so, but I love the act of creation and cannot imagine ever doing anything else. I'm greatful to all the countless people who have read my books, especially those who made my book on Pirates a New York Times best seller in 2006. There are many more books to come, so I hope you'll keep reading, and keep pestering your booksellers to stock them!