Who is Jon Clynch, anyway?

Author Jon Clynch relaxing in his favourite pub.

Thanks for joining me!

Here's 'Q&A' session to offer an insight into what inspires me to write, and to share a bit about the person behind the stories...

Where are you from?

I started life in Islington, London, way back in the closing years of the Swinging Sixties. However, when I was two years old, my parents moved us away to Bedford. We moved house several times after this, passing through the Peterborough area and on to Bourne and Grantham, eventually arriving back in Peterborough (Cambridgeshire) in 1983, where I feel my roots are today.

When did you start writing?

My working life over the years has been 'interesting', with a wide variety of roles - some of which I enjoyed (and others not so much!). Between 2011 and 2019, I traded as Jack in the Green, making handcrafted curios from reclaimed wood. This allowed me to indulge my love of all things 'alternative', designing and crafting all manner of weird and wonderful items! It also resulted in some unpleasant encounters with sharp and pointy things like chisels...

However, this adventure ended in 2019, and I poured my creativity into writing instead, which is much safer and doesn't require as many visits to A&E. Having won a short story competition in 2017 (with a ghostly/romantic tale called Real French Lavender), I plucked up the courage to write an actual, real, proper book. I published The Witch of Gallows Oak the following year, with a follow-up story, The Chapterhouse Beast, arriving shortly after.

Now, I'm under no illusions that I probably did everything wrong, made countless mistakes, and ignored advice. But they're my mistakes, and I tend to do things the hard way! Still, I've enjoyed every second (well, mostly), and I love writing.

With five books under my belt so far, I have many more ideas swirling in my brain, which is, by all accounts, a strange place.

So, there's a real danger that I'll write some more sometime soon!

A weathered and lichen-covered Celtic cross headstone in a graveyard with brooding skies overhead

A bird skull on fallen oak leaves in autumn

Do you read books as well as write them?

Definitely! I couldn't imagine a world without books to read...

My parents encouraged me to read at a young age, and I took to it immediately. This was aided by the fact that we got rid of the TV in the early 70s.

Before then, I lapped up anything magical on TV: Pogle's Wood, Issi Noho, Paulus the Little Gnome, The Herbs, and Rupert Bear (to name a few of the best) - all of which had an element of natural magic, woodland settings, and magical realism.

These nurtured my love of nature and magical creatures, and I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around woods looking for gnomes, fairies and secret doors.

But then, the 'One-eyed monster' (as my dad called it) was gone...

So, the local library became a regular haunt of mine, and I came home with an armful of books each week. I devoured books of all genres, but I always had a soft spot for the mysterious, spooky and magical.

My dad also introduced us to the Chronicles of Narnia, reading us stories at night (even using different voices for the characters!). As soon as I was able, I read and enjoyed these myself, moving on to Tolkien and more challenging content.

Reading was my escape. I'd often stow myself away in a reading 'den' (typically a space between my bed and a cabinet, with a pillow or sheet as a roof) and plough my way through a book in a matter of hours.

The author Jon Clynch standing by a stone arch with wrought iron gate

an ornament depicting a raven on a human skull set on two ancient grimoires

What were you like as a child?

I was an odd child in many respects, fairly quiet and reserved at school. I liked collecting things, like feathers, stamps, interesting stones, and animal skulls. Having been shielded from the outside world to a greater degree, I was not exactly streetwise.

I was a something of a misfit, picked on for being different (I went to church, had my hair cut at home, didn't have a TV, and my mum once knitted my school jumper - enough to mark you for life!)...

Coming from a Christian background, anything deemed 'occult' was frowned on. Naturally, this piqued my interest.

Halloween was banned in our household. The curtains were firmly closed, and all visitors to the front door were ignored.

I would peep through cracks in the curtains, terrified and thrilled in equal measure at the possibility of glimpsing a witch zipping by on her broomstick. Alas, there were none (that I saw, anyway).

And so, I developed a fascination for all things spooky, magical, mysterious and supernatural.

an old carving of a Green Man face in wood

What influences you as a writer?

As I grew up, the magic seemed to fade. To my immense disappointment, none of my attempts to reach Narnia through the wardrobe were successful, but my interest in magical things remained as strong as ever.

As years passed, this broadened to include British folklore and a particular preoccupation with the Green Man, that enigmatic 'face in the leaves' peering down from so many church walls.

I also immersed myself in Arthurian legend, developing a love for Avalon/Glastonbury and the mysterious allure it still holds today.

Over time, I've collected hundreds of books on various topics relating to earth mysteries, folklore, magic and the supernatural/paranormal. In addition, I'm an avid fan of history and archaeology (I have a Higher Education Diploma in archaeology & landscape history), and these subjects inevitably crop up in my stories. I'm also a taphophile, so you might find me lurking in cemeteries!

a carved figure on a stone column depicting a wild man or woodwose

All of these influences have stewed and swirled in my strange brain, eventually finding an outlet in my writing endeavours.

They have helped shape my stories, with the rest conjured by a somewhat vivid imagination.

Speaking of which, one of my stories - And Still the Faer Folk Dance - was inspired by an extremely realistic dream I once had as a youngster.

In the dream, I was transported to a magical realm where I lived with beautiful, fairy-like beings for days. I can still describe the details, decades later! In the dream, I lodged in an old stone cottage in a picturesque village. The narrow lane running through the centre sloped down to an ancient stone bridge spanning a river of fresh, crystal clear water. I ate, drank and played all day, until one day, sadly, it was time to return home...

Now, interpreting this would give a psychologist enough material for a lifetime! I believe it may have been a sign that I was approaching adulthood (which I feared more than anything), and that I was leaving 'childish ways' behind, although the vividness and clarity of the dream made me wonder at the time whether I'd actually visited a magical world.

Likes and dislikes?

It's probably fairly obvious by now that I'm into folklore, folk tales, history, archaeology and anything magical, mystical or supernatural!

In addition, I love listening to and making music (fun fact - I used to play the trombone! I also own a didgeridoo, but I mostly stick to electric guitar).

My musical taste is best described as 'eclectic', with bands as diverse as Rush, Cardiacs, The Levellers, The Strawbs, Caravan, Camel, Gong, OTT, Crippled Black Phoenix, The Prodigy, James, Led Zeppelin, Massive Attack, Captain Beefheart and many more!

When I'm not writing, reading or listening to music, I also relax by tackling a cryptic crossword.

However, I mostly love spending time with my amazing family, either exploring heritage sites, playing games, visiting a cosy pub, or wandering in the woods.

Now you know a little more about what makes me tick, please feel free to take a peek at my books! And if you've read one or two already, you're an absolute star, thank you.

Also, a huge thank you for making it this far - I really appreciate it.

Take care, and I wish you all the best,

Jon

Ivory coloured celtic cross gravestone with ornate flower carving. The background is dense foliage.

A black and white photo of a sundial statue with Father Time and a cherub

©Jon Clynch 2018 - 2026. This site is the property of the author alone and is subject to copyright law. None of the work, images or contents therein may be used, copied or altered without prior permission of the author.