Geoff Daplyn

Geoff lives in Farnham, Surrey, UK with his wife Sandra. He admits to not knowing much about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict except what he heard on the news when tensions flared up. That all changed after a visit to the West Bank in 2018.

He witnessed a Palestinian house demolition, settler aggravations and Israeli military harassment of people going about their business. He says himself, "it was a provocative moment. I could either agree with the mantra that the Palestinians deserved it all, or admit that something was really out of order." Out of this experience came his debut novel, 'The Sniper, The Shopkeeper and Sami', which has now been submitted for the Palestinian Book Awards 2021.

His second novel, 'The Man Who Nearly Had It All', takes a look at the breakup of Yugoslavia with particular reference to Bosnia. Again fictional characters are woven into accurate historical events to bring to life the events of the 1990s but which have still not been properly resolved even today.

A third novel is due to be published in 2023 about an Afghan couple who worked for the British in Kabul but were not evacuated in the turmoil of 2021 and have to make their own way through Iran, Turkey through to Calais with their new born baby.

He is now retired (meaning he now works without payment!) having worked both in the corporate world, mostly with Xerox, and as Managing Partner of a business consultancy firm. He and his wife Sandra now run a small property development business together. He has also served as a Trustee and Deputy Chair of the Board of a UK charity.