Joan London

Joan London is an Australian author of short stories, screenplays and novels.She graduated from the University of Western Australia having studied English and French, has taught English as a second language and is a bookseller. She lives in Fremantle, Western Australia, with her husband Geoff.Joan London was the youngest of four sisters. A baby boomer, she and her husband, Geoff, did the mandatory trip across Asia and were very attracted to the "internal revolution" that involved dropping out of society and making a new utopia in the country."We were very idealistic about it and had several attempts at it. Once we were with a couple who broke up, so that all collapsed. Another time we bought some land with a group of people, but we all fell out about what we wanted to do. We never built more than a shed on the land, then we had to sell it."For about a year, they lived in a little cottage in the country, pursuing the simple life. Their first child was born there, and Geoff, an architect, became a trainee potter."But we hated it! You have to have practical skills, the right nature, a lot of resources. You have to really enjoy growing things and be able to fix things. All the skills I haven't got - and neither has my husband. We had to find out the hard way."[The Age - 5 April 2008]