John Poulton

John was born and brought up in Manchester. After leaving school at 16, he became a telephone engineer returning to education in his early twenties. Having got a Theology degree in Southampton, he did postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge before heading off into a 30-year career teaching Theology, Philosophy, Theatre Studies and Religious Education.

Alongside his teaching career, he is a singer/songwriter and guitarist. He has played mostly solo, but also in several bands. Currently he is developing a repertoire on the classical guitar.

He wrote his first book, an autobiography (a present for his mum) in his 50s and followed this with a full-length novel, ‘The Luck of the Crane’, set in the Rwandan Genocide. A short theological work came next, ‘Atheists for Jesus’. This short book explains what reasonable historical claims a person, regardless of beliefs, can make for Jesus of Nazareth.

‘Head Hunted’ is his latest novel, set in a fictional Lancashire school. The story takes place over an academic year and concerns the competition to replace the retiring head teacher.