Biographical Sketch

Jamila Gavin was born August 9th, 1941 in Mussoorie - a Raj hillstation in the foothills of the Himalayas. Her early life was divided between India and England - with the long sea voyages that linked the two as much a part of her growing up as anything. She was educated in both India and London but always thinks of her mother as being her main educator before the age of about twelve. "I remember lessons on the veranda with her in India - learning to read and even learning a bit of French. My father was a great educator too - though his influence came later... I didn't enjoy school. I was naughty and didn't do my best. I didn't enjoy formal learning, and did much better when I found things out for myself throughout the rest of my life." Jamila did enjoy her musical education, which started when she was twelve years old, by which time her family was settled in London. She went to Trinity College of Music as a Junior Exhibitioner, and later as a Piano scholar.

She began working as a Studio Manager with the BBC (Radio) then as Production Assistant/Director for Music & Arts BBC Television. Her first published work was The Magic Orange Tree and Other Stories (1979). She has had several books shortlisted for major prizes but as of this ACHUKA feature (October 2000) has not won any, a situation likely to change when the judges of various awards come to consider her latest novel, Coram Boy.

She lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire.