Jan Howcroft lives in Essex. With a background in geography, the natural world is often an inspiration to her writing. Walking has always been an important part of her life, whether on the Inca trail, the Cumbrian Mountains or in Epping Forest. She started writing when she retired from teaching. Since then, she has produced a wide variety of short stories and flash fiction. During the first lockdown, she began songwriting with her musician-husband Nick Dobbs. Her work has been shortlisted in several national writing competitions and published both on line and in print; their songs can be found on youtube.