P.J. Brooke
Encyclopedia
P.J. Brooke is the writing name of Philip James O'Brien and Jane Brooke. As P.J. Brooke they have written two contemporary crime thrillers set in Granada, Spain, featuring sub-Inspector Max Romero.
, Essex
, in 1943, to a German mother and Irish father. The family moved to Ardrossan
, Ayrshire
, when he was 12. He attended St. Aloysius' College
in Glasgow
, and then studied at St Andrews University, Queen's University
, Ontario
and then postgraduate work at Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago
, Chile
, and the University of Sussex
. After a brief spell with the Foreign Office, he taught Latin American Studies at the University of Glasgow
, and is author of books and articles on Latin America. He was the editor of the Macmillan
Latin American Series.
His work enabled regular research trips to Latin America: he was in Chile during the Allende Government
and Pinochet's dictatorship
, in Peru
during the rise of the Maoist guerrilla movement Sendero Luminoso, and in Venezuela
during the Chávez Revolution
. In Scotland
he campaigned actively on behalf of Latin American human rights and was Chair of the Scottish Chile and Argentina Solidarity Campaign and Scotland Against the Gulf War, stood as a parliamentary candidate for the Scottish Green Party
, and was the Scottish Green Party member of the Scottish Constitutional Convention
, which led to the formation of the Scottish Parliament
.
Jane Brooke was born in Normanton
, Yorkshire
, in 1951. She attended Pontefract and District Girls High School, then York University
. She was a research assistant at Stirling University, and did postgraduate work at Lancaster University
and Edinburgh University. She trained as a historian and social scientist, worked as an urban planner and policy advisor in Scottish local government in Glasgow
and Paisley
, but also advised an international group of voluntary organisations at the United Nations
Commission on Sustainable Development
in New York
.
She is the co-author of various articles on urban development and sustainability, edited "Housing and the Environment: The New Agenda" published by the Chartered Institute of Housing
in 1992 and was Secretary of the Green Party
in Scotland.
Philip O'Brien and Jane Brooke married in 2001. Philip has 2 sons by his first wife Jaqueline who died in 2000.
in UK and Soho Press in the USA, and a second novel, A Darker Night, is scheduled for publication in July 2010.
Biographies
Philip O'Brien was born in Leigh-on-SeaLeigh-on-Sea
Leigh-on-Sea , sometimes called Leigh, is a civil parish in Essex, England. It is part of Southend-on-Sea for administrative purposes. It became a civil parish in 1996. The council tax was increased to support it. A town council was formed. Leigh is the only parish in Southend...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, in 1943, to a German mother and Irish father. The family moved to Ardrossan
Ardrossan
Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland. The name "Ardrossan" describes its physical position — 'ard' from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, 'ros' a promontory and the diminutive suffix '-an' - headland of the little promontory...
, Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
, when he was 12. He attended St. Aloysius' College
St. Aloysius' College, Glasgow
St. Aloysius' College is a selective fee-paying independent Jesuit school in Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1859, and named after the famous Jesuit, Aloysius Gonzaga. Its strong Jesuit ethos emphasises practice of the Roman Catholic faith both in the church and in the community, with many...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, and then studied at St Andrews University, Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and then postgraduate work at Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
. After a brief spell with the Foreign Office, he taught Latin American Studies at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, and is author of books and articles on Latin America. He was the editor of the Macmillan
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
Latin American Series.
His work enabled regular research trips to Latin America: he was in Chile during the Allende Government
Chile under Allende
Salvador Allende was the president of Chile from 1970 until 1973, and head of the Popular Unity government; he was the first Marxist ever to be elected to the national presidency of a democracy...
and Pinochet's dictatorship
Chile under Pinochet
Chile was ruled by a military dictatorship headed by Augusto Pinochet from 1973 when Salvador Allende was overthrown in a coup d'etat until 1990 when the Chilean transition to democracy began. The authoritarian military government was characterized by systematic suppression of political parties and...
, in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
during the rise of the Maoist guerrilla movement Sendero Luminoso, and in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
during the Chávez Revolution
Bolivarian Revolution
The “Bolivarian Revolution” refers to a leftist social movement and political process in Venezuela led by Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, the founder of the Fifth Republic Movement...
. In Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
he campaigned actively on behalf of Latin American human rights and was Chair of the Scottish Chile and Argentina Solidarity Campaign and Scotland Against the Gulf War, stood as a parliamentary candidate for the Scottish Green Party
Scottish Green Party
The Scottish Green Party is a green party in Scotland. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, representing Lothian, and Patrick Harvie, for Glasgow.-Organisation:...
, and was the Scottish Green Party member of the Scottish Constitutional Convention
Scottish Constitutional Convention
The Scottish Constitutional Convention was an association of Scottish political parties, churches and other civic groups, that developed a framework for a Scottish devolution. It is credited as having paved the way for the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.The Convention was...
, which led to the formation of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
.
Jane Brooke was born in Normanton
Normanton, West Yorkshire
Normanton is a town and civil parish within the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is northeast of Wakefield and southwest of Castleford, and at the time of the 2001 Census, the population was 19,949.-History:...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, in 1951. She attended Pontefract and District Girls High School, then York University
York University (disambiguation)
York University may refer to:* York University, Toronto, Ontario; also:** York University , a proposed subway stop at the university** York University , a York Region Transit terminus at the university...
. She was a research assistant at Stirling University, and did postgraduate work at Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
and Edinburgh University. She trained as a historian and social scientist, worked as an urban planner and policy advisor in Scottish local government in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
, but also advised an international group of voluntary organisations at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Commission on Sustainable Development
Commission on Sustainable Development
The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development was established in December 1992 by General Assembly Resolution as a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council, implementing a recommendation in of Agenda 21, the landmark global agreement reached at the June 1992 United...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
She is the co-author of various articles on urban development and sustainability, edited "Housing and the Environment: The New Agenda" published by the Chartered Institute of Housing
Chartered Institute of Housing
The Chartered Institute of Housing is the professional body for those working in the housing profession in the UK. It has a royal charter, gained in 1984. Currently CIH has over 21,000 members, mostly in the UK but also overseas, notably in Hong Kong...
in 1992 and was Secretary of the Green Party
Scottish Green Party
The Scottish Green Party is a green party in Scotland. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, representing Lothian, and Patrick Harvie, for Glasgow.-Organisation:...
in Scotland.
Philip O'Brien and Jane Brooke married in 2001. Philip has 2 sons by his first wife Jaqueline who died in 2000.
Writing fiction
Philip O'Brien started writing fiction after the death of his first wife. Jane Brooke got involved, commenting on exercises prepared for his creative writing class at Glasgow University, and then taking a more active role. Blood Wedding, their first novel, was published in 2008 by Constable & RobinsonConstable & Robinson
Constable & Robinson Ltd. is an independent British book publisher of fiction and non-fiction works. Founded in Edinburgh in 1795 by Archibald Constable as Constable & Co. it is probably the oldest independent publisher in the English-speaking world still operating under the name of its...
in UK and Soho Press in the USA, and a second novel, A Darker Night, is scheduled for publication in July 2010.
Fiction (as P.J. Brooke)
- Blood Wedding, P.J. Brooke, Constable & Robinson London and Soho Press, New York. 2008.
- A Darker Night, P.J. Brooke, Constable & Robinson London and Soho Press, New York. 2010.
Non Fiction
- Allende's Chile, ed by Philip O'Brien, Praeger New York,1976
- Chile: State and Revolution, I.Roxborough,P. O'Brien and J.Roddick, MacMillan, London 1976, Holmes and Meier, New York, 1977.
- Chile:The Pinochet Decade, P.O'Brien and J.Roddick,Latin American Bureau, London 1983
- Generals in Retreat, ed by P.O'Brien and P. Cammack, Manchester University Press.1985
- Housing and the Environment: The New Agenda, Bhatti, Brooke and Gibson, Chartered Institute of Housing, London.1992
External links
- Scotsman Interview with Philip O'Brien and Jane Brooke, The Scotsman, 9 December 2008
- Constable & Robinson
- Soho Press