Writing and Mental Health – Interview with Dave Jeffery – The British Fantasy Society (original) (raw)

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Our talented interviewee is Dave Jeffery and will be interviewed by BFS Chair, Shona Kinsella.

Dave Jeffery (he/him): Dave Jeffery is the author of 18 novels, two collections, and numerous short stories. His Necropolis Rising series and yeti adventure Frostbite have both featured on the Amazon #1 bestseller list. Other work includes the critically acclaimed Beatrice Beecham supernatural mystery series for young adults, and the A Quiet Apocalypse series. His Campfire Chillers collection made the 2012 Edge Hill Prize long-list, and his screenwriting credits include award winning short films Ascension and Derelict. He is a long-time contributor to Phantasmagoria Magazine, a final reader for Space and Time Magazine, and a regular book reviewer for The British Fantasy Society.

Prior to retirement in 2019, Jeffery worked for 35 years in the National Health Service (NHS), specialising in the field of mental health nursing and risk management. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Studies and a Master of Science Degree in Health Studies. During this time, he has worked with Whurr International, Wiley & Sons, and the Royal College of Nursing’s Mental Health Practice Magazine, writing academic papers and research articles. His literary criticism work is currently under contract with Bloomsbury Academic and Peter Lang Publishing. Jeffery is also co-editor of Deafness and Challenging Behaviour (Wiley & Sons). His contemporary mental health novel, Finding Jericho, has featured on both the BBC Health and Independent Schools Entrance Examination Board’s ‘Recommended Reading’ lists. He is a mentor on the Horror Writers Association’s Mentorship Scheme, and the 2023 recipient of the HWA Mentor of the Year Award. Jeffery is currently co-chair of the HWA Wellness Committee.

Find out more about Dave Jeffery on his website or connect with him on Facebook. Check out his books here.

Shona Kinsella (she/her): Shona Kinsella is a multiple-award-nominated Scottish fantasy author. Her works include The Heart of Winter, The Vessel of KalaDene series, The Flame and the Flood, and non-fiction Outlander and the Real Jacobites: Scotland’s Fight for the Stuarts. She was the editor of the British Fantasy Society’s fiction publication BFS Horizons for four years and is now the Chair of the Society. She lives with her husband and 3 children on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.

Find out more about Shona on her website. Or you can follow her on Facebook and Bluesky. Buy her latest book, The Heart of Winter, here.