Joan London

Joan London is an Australian author of short stories, screenplays and novels.

She graduated from the University of Western Australia having studied English and French, has taught English as a second language and is a bookseller.

She lives in Fremantle, Western Australia, with her husband Geoff.

Joan London was the youngest of four sisters.

A baby boomer, she and her husband, Geoff, did the mandatory trip across Asia and were very attracted to the "internal revolution" that involved dropping out of society and making a new utopia in the country.

"We were very idealistic about it and had several attempts at it. Once we were with a couple who broke up, so that all collapsed. Another time we bought some land with a group of people, but we all fell out about what we wanted to do. We never built more than a shed on the land, then we had to sell it."

For about a year, they lived in a little cottage in the country, pursuing the simple life. Their first child was born there, and Geoff, an architect, became a trainee potter.

"But we hated it! You have to have practical skills, the right nature, a lot of resources. You have to really enjoy growing things and be able to fix things. All the skills I haven't got - and neither has my husband. We had to find out the hard way."
[The Age - 5 April 2008]