Judith Amanthis

Judith Amanthis has lived in west London – near Paddington and Grenfell, ‘Carnival City’ – for 54 years, having lived in Zimbabwe as a teenager. Writing poetry has always been in her background, but prose came first.

Amanthis began writing seriously at the age of 40, with her first novel written two years later, and her short fiction published in magazines from 1993. Her journalism has been published in Ghana, South Africa and the UK. Her novel Dirt Clean was shortlisted for the 2021 Society of Authors’ Paul Torday Prize.

Alongside her writing Amanthis has, at various times, been employed as a teacher, groundsperson, truck driver, lexicographer and receptionist. She has two sons and four grandchildren, one of whom, Matilda, 12, asked to be mentioned in this bio. She considers herself the most fortunate of women.

Image credit: Larry Herman