Neil Rowland

Neil Hope Rowland is an English novelist, copywriter, and journalist. He is the author of several books in which music often plays a significant role.

Neil Rowland was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. Neil began his writing career as a teenage music critic for Melody Maker, Blitz, and other publications. He was lucky to interview many top rock music artists, including New Order, U2, Paul Weller, and numerous others. Neil remains a big music fan.

Recently he wrote fiction reviews and articles for Time Out, London, as well as being a newspaper contributor.

He gained a BA Hons at Newcastle and an MA in Literature (Commonwealth writers) from the University of Leeds. In the past, he has worked in a variety of customer service jobs, including in a bank and at an airport.

For almost nine years he has been employed by Luton Culture. He has organized many literary events and festivals, both for libraries and with the Arts Council.

By the 2000s he worked as Literature Development Officer for Northamptonshire. The role involved organizing three big literary festivals every year. As well as working with many new novelists and poets, he was fortunate to rub shoulders with many established names. These included great poets such as Peter Porter and Michael O'Donaghy, Salley Vickers, and Jill Dawson, and celebrities such as Barry Norman and Dan Pearson.

Rowland enjoys a life-long passion for fiction and discovering exciting writers, new or past.

Neil Rowland debuted with The City Dealer (2013), a story of financial intrigue with humor and romance.

"The financial setting is authentic, drawn on the experience of family and friends in that sector, yet the story excites, and the reader will not require a degree in economics to enjoy," says the author.

Noah's Heart (2014) is a family drama with the dynamic and magical atmosphere of Bristol. This is a classic father-daughter clash story, where the values of the rock and hippie generation of the sixties counterculture collide with the hedonistic culture of rave and techno dance music.

Punk Story (2017) was inspired by his experience as a teenager, and a wish to remember and celebrate the incredible people who made such a sharp impression on him.

Neil Rowland is married and has a daughter. He currently lives in Bedford.

Photo credit: www.neilrowland.com