Author biography - Eleanor Watkins

Eleanor Watkins

Author of the Beech Bank Girls books

Eleanor Watkins is a full-time writer, mother of four adult children and grandmother of four. She lives near Hay-on-Wye on the Welsh borders and has been involved in the farming community all her life. She loves the countryside and natural world, likes people of all ages and travels whenever she can. She has been writing ever since she could put pen to paper. About her writing she says: “I learned very early that words are powerful, that they can make you laugh, cry, hope, be inspired, take you to other places and times – and I wanted to be part of doing that.” Beech Bank Girls, Christmas is Coming! (due for release in the autumn) is Eleanor's 40^th book. Read on!

“I was born and brought up on a hill farm in the Welsh borders and was closely involved with the farming life and natural world though my childhood. I had a happy childhood, attended the local village primary school and later a somewhat unique and experimental school with an agricultural bias housed in a beautiful mansion house. There I gained a love of words from my English teacher, a first glimpse of a living relationship with God from my history and RE teacher, who is now one of my closest friends and a circle of friends I value to this day. (Not much what you'd call formal education though!)

I am married to George, and we farmed for many years – we still live in the farmhouse although he now runs an export business. Over the years we've had numerous cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, a pig, a goat, aviary birds, tortoises, ducks, chickens, lambs, you name it! I even raised a fox cub once. Now we just have a ginger cat and a pair of cockatiels. Thinking of getting another dog though, maybe a few bantams . . .

I was almost seven when I started school (my parents held out for school transport and taught me to read and write at home before then). I used to make up little stories about characters I knew. My granny lived with us and my stories always featured a granny. I still have some stories I wrote at six, based on the Dick Barton characters we heard on the radio serial at 6.45 each evening. I learned very early that words are powerful, that they can make you laugh, cry, hope, be inspired, take you to other places and times – and I wanted to be part of doing that.

Eleanor holding her two current Beech Bank Girls books. Beech Bank Girls, Every Girl Has a Story,the first in the series, was shortlisted for the Christian Resources Together Awards, Children's Book of the Year 2011, over 12s category :-)
 

Eleanor with myself (Janet Wilson, left) at the International Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park in May this year.

 

I was taken to church (Anglican) and always had an awareness of God. When I was 16 a team from the National Young Life Campaign visited our village and I went along with some friends. There I heard for the first time about the personal relationship we can have with God through his son Jesus. I was deeply convinced of my need of a Saviour, but my reaction was that I wanted to enjoy my life and be in control of it, and I headed for the door as soon as I could. However, a friend dragged me back inside and I was counselled and prayed the sinner's prayer. I thought I would immediately become 'good' and was a little perplexed when life went on much as before, However, God had his hand on me and soon began to work on me in different ways and through different people. Over the years I could have been labelled Anglican/Evangelical/Pentecostal/Charismatic/Contemplative, as all those have influenced my walk with God. My views of him have changed a great deal over the years. He has become much bigger, more loving, more merciful, caring, closer and more precious as time passed and I receive more of his wonderful grace.

My interests are mainly books and writing, gardening, the natural world and the environment, grandchildren, family and friends, meeting people, travel. Before marriage I helped in my parents' farming business and studied child care. Since, I've worked with my husband in various enterprises and raised my family, and I wrote all the time, selling my first story at 21, but later also selling something I'd written at 16. I write fiction and non-fiction, mostly for children and young people.”