Joanna Stephen-Ward

Turbulent family relationships, secrets and tragedy were the inspiration behind Eumeralla. Born in the Australian outback, Joanna Stephen-Ward was adopted and grew up in Melbourne. She knew who her biological father was, but the identity of her biological mother was kept secret.

In 2010 her sister found her on Face Book. They were last together on a verandah in the Australian outback when Joanna was six months old and her sister was two years old. Their joyful reunion took place in Cornwall, England in 2012.

Vissi d'arte was inspired by Gertrude Johnson, the charismatic founder of the Australian National Theatre and Joanna's three years at The National Theatre Opera School.

Wanderlust overwhelmed her and she spent a year travelling through Europe and the UK. Instinctively knowing that her destiny lay in England, she settled in London where she worked for the National Health Service, while attending part-time drama school.

She found love and married Peter, an architect, in the ancient church of St Peter's in Petersham. She and Peter joined the Richmond Writers' Circle in 1997 and she became the chairman eighteen months later. While working full time at The National Archives in Kew, and running the writers circle, she completed three novels.

She is working on a detective novel set in Cornwall and a sequel to Eumeralla.