About Simon

Simon Phelps is an author with a fascinating and varied life, which has now led him to the world of fiction. After an accident in his youth that left him using a wheelchair, his path has been anything but conventional. He has co-founded a farming commune, worked on a City Farm, and run a market stall. A significant part of his life was spent on a smallholding, rearing his own goats, pigs, poultry, and vegetables. He also knows how to lay a hedge. As this time was spent on non-mechanised smallholdings it also served as research for his later writing career. Though unlike medieval peasants, he could always visit the shops.

His academic pursuits as a mature student were equally diverse, culminating in a Master's degree in the History of Science, Medicine and Technology from London University and the Wellcome Institute. Later, he trained as a counsellor, helping people to overcome their painful life events. His understanding of human experience and resilience, gained through his own turbulent journey, is a key influence on his writing. He retired from counselling in 2021 to dedicate his time to writing.

A lifelong love of history, sparked by reading historical novels as a boy, is at the heart of his work. His novels are focused on the second half of the 11th Century in British history, delving into the turbulent period surrounding the Norman Conquest. He combines meticulous historical research with compelling characters and entertaining stories. His debut novel, 'No Man's Son', explores this era, with the series continuing in 'Blood on the Water' and ‘Death in the Borderlands’

The fourth book in the series is due for publication in 2026. Simon hopes to inspire in his readers the same passion for history that has defined his life.