James Leader

James Leader was born and raised in England, but left as soon as he could. Since then, he has worked in Europe, North America and the Middle East. Shortly after finishing at Oxford University (where he won the Newdigate Prize for Poetry) he was invited for interview by MI6. If he had gone, he would probably now be dead, since he has no visual-spatial or mechanical intelligence. "The Mysteries of Gogos" is his first published novel; in 2015 and 2016 it was used as a set text in the Belgian Baccalaureate. His second novel "Chickendance" is about a group of fourteen-year-old boys on a road-trip to Omaha Beach in Normandy. It has been taught at the European School of Luxembourg. In 2016 his poem "Phoebe and the Troopship" won second place at the Ballymaloe International Poetry Competition, judged by Billy Collins. (The Ballymaloe is one of the most valuable single-poem contests in the world.) In 2016 his novel "The Venus Zone" won Luxembourg's National Literary Competition. It was published in early 2017. In 2022 his first collection of poetry "High Talk" was published by Editions Phi in Luxembourg and shortlisted for the Prix Servais, Luxembourg's most prestigious literary prize. His debut novel for adults "Into Babel" was published by Black Fountain Press in 2024.