April 29, 2009

From teacher to writer

A former teacher has made the shortlist for this year's Orange prize for fiction. In turning from a spell in the classroom to writing books, Samantha Harvey is in very good company

From teacher to writer: Writer, Samantha Harvey — Samantha Harvey, whose first novel The Wilderness has been shortlisted for this year's Orange prize for fiction, used to work as a teacher in Japan Photograph: Rick Hewes/PR

From teacher to writer: Author Michael Morpurgo, a former teacher who was children's laureate — No stranger to the classroom is Michael Morpurgo. While working as a primary school teacher in Kent, he began making up stories for the children and was inspired to become an author Photograph: Frank Baron/Guardian

From teacher to writer: Philip Pullman, children's writer, at home in Oxford — Philip Pullman, best known for His Dark Materials, became a teacher at a middle school in Oxford aged 25. While teaching, he wrote several school plays which later inspired books including The Ruby in the Smoke Photograph: Sarah Lee/Guardian

From teacher to writer: teacher writer Joanne Harris — Joanne Harris was a French teacher for 15 years, first working at a mixed comprehensive, then Leeds grammar school. She published three novels, including Chocolat, while still teaching lessons. Since leaving teaching she has written more novels, short stories and cookery books Photograph: David Levenson/Getty

From teacher to writer: Teacher writer Dan Brown — No more marking books for Dan Brown. Until 1996, he was an English teacher at a US school. He gave up teaching to write full time. And along came The Da Vinci Code... Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

From teacher to writer: Teacher writer Eoin Colfer — The author of the popular Artemis Fowl books, Eoin Colfer, was previously a primary school teacher in Wexford, Ireland. He wrote his first six books while still teaching. In 2002 he won the WHSmith award, children's category, for Artemis Fowl Photograph: Murdo Macleod/Guardian

From teacher to writer: Writer JK Rowling — Perhaps the most famous teacher-writer of all, JK Rowling began writing Harry Potter while teaching English in Portugal. She then worked as a French teacher in Edinburgh, while penning the first instalment of the life of the boy wizard. Just over a year after she completed her first novel, she gave up teaching to write full time. Book by book, on she went, and Harry Potter fever gripped the world Photograph: David Cheskin/PA

From teacher to writer: Elizabeth George writer — Elizabeth George, author of the Inspector Lynley books, was previously an English teacher in America. She was fired from her first teaching job for union activity. She left teaching after 13 years when her first novel was published Photograph: Public Domain

From teacher to writer: Writer Roddy Doyle at the Edinburgh International Book Festival — More inspiration for aspiring teacher-writers, should it be needed, comes in the form of Roddy Doyle's rise to fame. Doyle began his career teaching English and geography at his old school. The pupils there were the inspiration for his first novel, The Commitments. He gave up teaching when Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha was published. With that novel, he won the Booker Prize Photograph: Murdo Macleod/Guardian

From teacher to writer: writer William Golding — William Golding began his career as a teacher at Michael Hall, a Steiner school in Streatham, south London. He later taught at Maidstone grammar school. His first novel, Lord of the Flies, was published in 1954. He won the Booker prize in 1980 for Rites of Passage. Motivation if ever there was for teachers itching to write.

The Orange prize for fiction is awarded on 3 June Photograph: Nick Rogers/Rex features

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