About the Author: Frank Peter Hinks

I was born in 1950, the eldest son of four boys. I was brought up and educated in Bromley, Kent. My earliest recalled ambition was to become a writer: as a child I had a strong conviction that my destiny was to make my fortune through books and as a result from time to time would start writing detective stories or novels, sadly with little persistence and no great discernible talent. 

According to my great-aunt Dora, as a young child I was watching Perry Mason on TV when I said that that was what I was going to be when I grew up. Around my 16th birthday I decided to go to Oxford University and eventually made my way there following my A levels, spending 4 years studying law at St Catherine's College.  I was called to the Bar in July 1973 and in 1974 I joined the chambers of Charles Sparrow QC at 13 Old Square and have remained a member ever since, albeit chambers has migrated to 6 New Square, and adopted the name Serle Court.

I met my wife Susan (an abstract painter) in 1981 and we were married in July 1983.  In May 1983 we bought The Old Vicarage, Shoreham, Kent, a rambling house which dates from around 1530, and in 1984 Julius was born followed by Alexander in 1985 and Benjamin in 1987.  In 1988 we bought a 4½ acre water meadow, an island in the River Darent, restoring the lake and boathouse and building two tree houses: the source of inspiration for the garden in the land of Ramion. 

With the birth of our children at last I had an audience for my storytelling. It started with Julius giving me the first line of a story at bedtime each night and leaving me to take it over without any idea where it was going. These stories evolved into the books that are now available following a few alterations and the addition of my own colour illustrations.  Sine 1995 I have produced over 400 full page paintings illustrating 14 stories and now on no. 15 The Body Collector. 

In 2003 four stories (as individual stories and the collection Ramion) were published and displayed in the window of Foyles. In 2006 at last I became a commercially published author and illustrator, but in Korean not English. The first four stories were published by Marobul, a Korean publisher which specialises in illustrated books.  The Korean designer responded wonderfully to the stories. The 2009 edition of The Kingdom of the Deep (the 13th story in the Ramion series) drew on the Korean designs, but sought to raise the series to a new level. Story no. 14 The Blizzard Wizard is in the same style.

Read a more detailed biography of Frank Hinks here »