Les Kirkup

I was born near Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK. I studied physics in Sheffield, London and Paisley (just outside Glasgow)- and I love the subject. Janet and I migrated to Sydney Australia in 1990 and I have been at the University of Technology Sydney ever since (I am now an adjunct professor there, having retired in 2016). We have two terrific daughters, Sarah and Amy.

My first foray into book writing occurred in 1981/83 when I coauthored 'Essential Physics' with Alan Murkett, Bill Roe, and Steve Veazey (thank heavens they were involved - though I was very enthusiastic, I had yet to learn to write - that's something that a newly minted physics graduate often does poorly).

My interest in experimental physics (and what I saw as a lack of materials to help those trying to come to grips with laboratory work) led me to my later books. My most recent book 'Experimental Methods' published by Cambridge University Press is the second edition of a book first published in 1994.

Though I'm usually relieved when I finally despatch a manuscript to the publisher (or should that be 'abandon' a manuscript), it's usually not long before the itch returns to do something else.