Author and Speaker
Janie Hampton is the author of fifteen books including biography, fiction and text books. She has edited text-books, belles lettres and poetry; and written radio programmes. She has been a journalist in Africa and a producer at the BBC World Service.
Janie has written articles for Sunday Times, Times, Oxford Times, Independent, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, New Statesman, The Oldie, The Author, Associated Press Agency and Spare Rib. She has been a journalist in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zaire, Rwanda and Uganda, living in rural communities, travelling by canoe, bus, river-boat and train.
She has worked for The Arvon Foundation running Writing from Life courses with Rory Maclean in Devon; and with Alexander Masters in Shropshire.
As part of the Year of the Artist in 2001, she was the first Arts Council sponsored writer-in-residence in a pub. Sitting in the Marsh Harrier in Oxford she encouraged over 80 writers with their plays, novels, film scripts, poetry and children's books.
Talks
Janie has given talks, illustrated with hats and songs, at Literary Festivals in Cheltenham, Southampton, Bath, Chester, Norwich, Guildford and Oxford and at the Ways with Words Festivals in Dartington, Cumbria and Southwold; Gloucester and many other Women's Institutes; West Country Writers; 'The Oldie' literary luncheon; Ashmolean Museum; Royal National Theatre; and National Portrait Gallery, London.
Television and Radio
Janie was programme consultant for the television documentary about the life of Joyce Grenfell, 'Comedy with Breeding', directed by Robin Lough, broadcast on BBC2 in 2008.
Radio work has included interviews on Radio 4's 'Today', local radio; producing and presenting current affairs and features for the BBC World Service; and serials on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4.
The Next Book
Janie's next book is a social history of how Girl Guides and Brownies dealt with the Second World War. If you were a Guide or Brownie at that time, or know one, do get in touch with your stories.
STOP PRESS
'The Austerity Olympics' was short-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of 2008; nominated for the National Sporting Club Book Awards, 2009 and BBC Drama has started work on a 90 minute film. Within a week of publication, the paperback was No1 in Amazon's 'Other Sports' category.
On 6th June Janie talked on Radio 4's travel programme, 'Excess Baggage', about Chauncy Maples and the delights of Lake Malawi. If you missed it, go to the website to listen back.