Jill Berry

I had a 30-year career in education, as a teacher of English and later a Head of Department, Head of Sixth Form, Deputy Head and, for ten years, as a Head. I enjoyed and learnt from all my jobs, but definitely found headship the most rewarding and joyful.

I wrote a book for Crown House, 'Making the Leap: Moving from Deputy to Head', based on my own experience, my wider reading and my doctoral research, which came out in 2016. I very much hope that the book is of use and interest to aspiring heads (and to those who are trying to decide whether they are); to heads-elect who have been appointed but who have not yet formally stepped into the role; and to heads in the early months in post. We recorded an audio version in 2022.

Much as I enjoy writing about education I always wondered whether I might be able to write a novel. In the winter of 2019 I began work on 'The Dresser', and as we moved into the pandemic and I had even more time for writing, I went on to complete a further two books: '#OneWord', and 'The Button Box'. Each of the three novels is relatively short (55-60,000 words) so I decided to publish all three in one volume. I am proud of all three of them, and am currently enjoying discussing how readers are responding to them.

In 2023 I decided to attempt a longer novel, and published 'Eighteen Months' in 2024. As with the three short novels, it's available as an e-book and in paperback. It charts the experiences of a family of four as they navigate the pandemic in between March 2020 and August 2021. I found it fascinating to research and write, and hope others will find revisiting that special and strange time in our lives an interesting prospect.

Follow me on Twitter/X: @jillberry102, on Bluesky: @jillberry102, or on LinkedIn: Dr Jill Berry to find out more?