PROFILE

Alison Kervin is an award-winning novelist, biographer and journalist. Her next novel; Celebrity Bride, is out in May 2009, and her next non-fiction book will be the paperback version of 30 Bullies; out in January 2009.

Alison was formerly the Chief Sports Interviewer of The Daily Telegraph newspaper, producing a regular weekly sports interview for the Saturday edition of the paper as well as writing fiction and sports books. She has also written for The Sunday Times, Rugby World magazine, The Daily Mail and Observer Sports Monthly.

Alison was highly commended in the 2006 Sports Journalist of the Year Awards for her interviews in the Sunday Times, and in 2005 for her interviews in The Times. Prior to her freelance career, she was the Chief Sports Feature Writer of The Times newspaper and wrote a weekly interview - The Kervin Interview - for two and a half years, featuring stars ranging from Nick Faldo and Michael Owen to Prince Edward and Sean Connery.

Alison has written eight highly-acclaimed books – Wag’s Diary and A Wag Abroad – her first two novels, and Thirty Bullies: A History Of The World Cup, Clive Woodward: The Biography, Denise Lewis: Personal Best, Jason Leonard: The Autobiography, Sports Writing and the Unofficial Guide to the Rugby World Cup.

She started her career as a rugby journalist - she was The Times’ rugby editor and prior to that she was editor of Rugby World - the biggest-selling rugby magazine in the world. She has also worked as publisher of Rugby World, Golf Monthly and Women In Golf.

Alison worked for the Rugby Football Union as the public relations manager of the England team, was the first woman presenter on Rugby Special and the first woman to referee at Twickenham. She also holds coaching qualifications in 10 sports, has written short stories for magazines as diverse as You (Mail on Sunday), The Sunday Times and Woman.

She sits on numerous judging panels including the BAFTAS, BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Laureus International Sports Awards and the Magazine Journalist and Sports Journalist of the year Awards.