Meriel Brooke

I was born in Malaya, was sent to boarding school in England at the tender age of three, then to Canada during the war (Second, not First World War!), then Australia at the end of the war, then back to England where I finished my schooling at Cheltenham Ladies' College.

I qualified as a nurse at St Bartholomew's Hospital and worked for a plastic surgeon before following my heart and changing careers to act in film, TV and stage including the American Shakespeare Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the National Theatre. I wrote and directed several plays and was a member of the Directors' Guild.

Some years ago I moved to Herefordshire and set up a small organic farm with my husband.

My first book, 'Pot of Gold', a humorous account of downshifting, was first published in 1997 and was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary about our farm. It is available on Amazon.

My children's book, 'Jacqueline Jackdaw', is about a clever jackdaw who becomes friends with a young boy. It is available on Amazon.

My first novel 'An Impossible Marriage',about a farmer's son who became a rubber planter in Malaya, published by Ex-L-Ence-Publishing, is available on Amazon. The story concerns the consequences to all involved after he deserts his childhood sweetheart and marries a more sophisticated woman. Years later, the offspring of his two relationships fortuitously meet. This was originally published under the title of 'Blood Marriage'.

My second novel, 'Sweet Mungo', about a young actor, is now being published and will be available on Amazon.