Born within sight of the magnificent Sydney Harbour Bridge to an English mother and a brilliant Australian artist father and into a childhood of running wild through the bush edging the northern bays of the most beautiful harbour in the world (and threatening to lay flat any of her brother's friends who attempted to block her crossing their "Robin Hood" bridge during such runnings because she was "a girl"), Cheryl grew up to enjoy a second life in the UK and a third in France. Forced to leave her beloved bush and partake of an education, Cheryl began a colourful school life that involved high marks, back-row poker, missing school to join protest marches and numerous visits to the principal’s office (on the days she was at school).

 

The arts and/or arts therapy was clearly the way ahead. Cheryl trained in graphic design and copywriting, and later undertook a degree and post-graduate study in psychology. Since then Cheryl has written scripts, written and produced a 16mm short film, and has become a successful author with major literary award nominations and international publication of her work. She also blogs and gives talks on writing and the psychology of creating through her business Wild Self. 

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Writing being a portable craft, Cheryl spends part of the year in Cannes, where she resides with her French husband, part of the year in Oxford, UK with work and friends, and other times in the countryside of France or Italy working on her books or hunting for the quirky and the absurd, the weird and the inspiring, or the achingly beautiful to photograph and put to pen. Cheryl's key interests? Writing, politics, art, history, architecture, photography, travel ... oh, and Jam Clot.

 

Who is Jam Clot?

Jam Clot? A few years ago, the unexpected happened: Cheryl became a Christian. At first struck by the thought that this was the most uncool thing any person could do, she soon found herself sharing her bed with an absurd and unkempt angel who would wake her at around 3am to garble and chatter and insist that his ravings be written down. His name is JAM CLOT, and uncool he is not. Jam is now the outrageous antihero of the satirical Jam Clot Trilogy that Cheryl was enticed to write. All I can say is, watch out for Jam Clot! And I don't simply mean wait ... I mean watch out. For once met ... once you've met and had your mind twisted by this absurd and outrageous angel ... there is no going back. My warning is: your life will never be the same.

© All photographs and artwork copyright Cheryl Hardacre