Gordon Boshell Writer
Gordon Boshell was born in Blackburn, Lancashire and was a journalist and writer for more than 40 years. He wrote for the Daily Mail and also worked as a scriptwriter and a feature editor for the BBC.In 1951 Boshell left Fleet Street to join The World Health Organisation as an information officer. During this time he worked in South East Asia and the Western Pacific, as well as in the organisation's headquarters in Geneva. Boshell returned to Britain in 1967 after which he and his wife lived in Wells, Somerset.Boshell's first published book was "My Pen My Sword" a collection of poetry originally published in the Daily Mail. The book was subtitled "Bee of the Daily Mail" which may have been Boshell's alias. Boshell then published two adult novels ("John Brown's Body", "Dog's Life"). His early works were influenced by the Second World War. For example, his poem "The Aeroplane" was written after watching the Battle of Britain dogfights from the streets of London.On returning to the UK Boshell began writing children's books, beginning with the "Captain Cobwebb" series for which he is best known. He also wrote a trilogy of books known as "The Secret Guardians" series.Whilst working at the Daily Mail and the BBC, Boshell co-created the "Garth" comic strip with Steve Dowling.Children's author Andy Briggs has acknowledged Boshell as an early influence.Boshell's books are now out of print but often fetch high prices through second-hand book merchants and in eBay Sales. Boshell still has a following with a Yahoo Group dedicated to fans who are trying to track down and rediscover his works.