John Roche grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the 60’s and 70’s. At eight years he had his first writing success, winning a national story competition. The effort won him twenty-one guineas and a stern look from his mother; the story was a less than flattering description of her.

Over the past 40 years John has worked in engineering construction through Europe, Asia and Australia. In 2015, whilst living and working in Dalian, China, John began writing children’s stories. He regularly told these stories in his youngest daughters’ class, when on breaks home with his family in Perth, Australia.

In 2016 the family moved to New Zealand and now live in Hamilton. John took a break from project work in 2019 and commenced writing full time, supported by cups of tea and toast.