About the Author

AJ Healy was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland.

By the age of three, AJ had taken a drug overdose (accidental* ), crashed the family car through the garage (probably accidental) and been suspended twice from school (no accident).

When AJ was five, his father left the family home and emigrated, leaving his mother (Marguerite) to bring up AJ and his younger brother alone, until she remarried six years later — subsequently introducing another baby boy to the family (not accidental).

Having completed school and a BComm, AJ travelled the world, working in Australia, before taking a job with Goldman Sachs in London. Two years later, he left Goldmans to start a brick factory in one of South Africa’s townships. After a series of mishaps and adventures (including being held-up at gunpoint and losing a number of lorries) AJ returned to Europe, involving himself in a variety of ventures. In October 2001, at the age of 32, AJ ditched the world of entrepreneurial endeavour (and vice-versa) to follow his life-long passion — getting up late and writing stories.

AJ had put aside a number of years' worth of savings to fund his writing efforts but, due to bad luck (or complete stupidity), he lost all these savings at the start of 2002.

Fractions Of a Second

When AJ was in junior school, he wondered why maths class was taken up with problems involving 'silly fractions.' The teacher, Mrs Williams, assured him that fractions would prove useful one day. And she was right.

Almost 20 years later, AJ got held-up by a drug-crazed robber in a South African township, whose main form of greeting was: "I kill you, I kill you, I kill you."

During the ensuing moments, AJ thought: "50/50 he shoots. 50/50 I die if he shoots.. Hmm.. That's a one-in-four chance that I die. Or 25% if expressed as a fraction."

Thankfully, the other 25% possibility (he shoots, AJ doesn't die) is what happened.

Slightly peeved, humbled and surviving on berries & pond water, AJ shut all financial worries from his mind and wrote Tommy Storm.

In 2004, AJ married MF in a cut-price ceremony (no engagement ring!) and, when last quizzed, they claimed to be enjoying life in Dublin with their baby daughter (despite the lack of finger-ornation - and the lack of sleep).

* The pills in question were orange flavour baby aspirin — the whole bottle was consumed heartily by the 18-month old. Having the said pills indelicately removed in hospital is actually AJ’s earliest memory.

A Glutton For Punishment?

If you'd like to know more about AJ and his writing journey, check out the Irish World article (Apr 08) — written after AJ found success with Quercus (publishers).

Or read an earlier article from Image magazine (Dec 06) — written when AJ self-published Tommy Storm, before any recognised publisher would take it on.

WANT AJ TO COME TO YOUR SCHOOL & DO A READING?

If your school is in Ireland, you can arrange for AJ to come to your classroom to read from Tommy Storm and answer questions. The session can be part funded through the Writer's In Schools scheme so it doesn't cost your school very much. Simply ask your teacher to contact AJ or Poetry Ireland to organise it (see http://www.poetryireland.ie/education/wis-directory.php?id=286).