Clive Goddard

Clive Goddard didn't know he was a writer until Fintan Fedora happened. He thought he was a cartoonist. It was probably all those years spent illustrating 'Horrible' books for Scholastic that gave him this idea.

Fintan Fedora (The World's Worst Explorer) is his first work of children's fiction, partly inspired by his own love of travel and disastrous experiences. (ie. Being chased by an angry ostrich in Swaziland, having his rucksack soaked by a leaky toilet in The Netherlands, getting heatstroke in Namibia, food poisoning in Thailand and being robbed in China.)

The book has gone on to win the Stockport Schools Book Award 2012 (Key Stage 2) and the Hounslow Book Award 2012 as well as being runner-up in the inaugural Oldham Brilliant Books Award 2012.

The sequel 'Fintan Fedora Explores Again' takes us to Iceland, Turkey, Russia & China and features an ancient lost village, ruthless gangsters and the odd lump of panda poo.

Book three, 'Fintan Fedora & the Diamond Mask' is set in Southern Africa and sees Fintan in search of King Zunu's legendary diamond-studded mask. It also sees a lot more of Fintan's horrible brother and sister who get dragged into his disasters this time. How will Flavian cope with being threatened by machete wielding diamond thieves? How will Felicity cope with all that animal dung & having nowhere to plug in her hair-straighteners? How will Gribley keep Fintan safe from the hyenas & lions and rhinos - and himself?

The fourth book sends Fintan to the Australian Outback. Along with three other hopefuls he had been nominated for the 'Young Explorer of the Year' award. Unfortunately one of his rivals is determined to lie and cheat her way to victory with a lot of help from Young Adventurer magazine's star reporter, Brian Piddling. Expect dirty tricks, koala attacks, sharks, spiders and crunchy iguana for dinner.

In 2021 Clive wrote something a little different: Erik the Alien is the story of what happens when an alien spaceship crashes on a Welsh sheep farm. Expect the usual Fintan-esque chaos, neighbourhood bullies, weird space pirates and a long of sheep dung.

Clive lives in Oxford, UK where he draws, writes and practices sleeping for long periods of time. He is yet to win either The Booker or The Pulitzer prize but has a Blue Peter badge for colouring-in.