CHRISTOPHER HAWES is a playwright, novelist and poet. He worked as a drama teacher, then began to write full-time in 1976, as a producer and scriptwriter for BBC Radio for Schools. He has written successfully for the theatre and theatre-in-education in many of the leading regional theatres.

This included The Play Of Jennet, which was awarded Best Play in the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards, performed at the Dukes Theatre, and on tour. His adaptation of Don Quixote played in Liverpool Schools, at the Theatre Royal, Harrogate and the Unicorn Theatre in the West End.

Chris has written many plays for BBC Radio 4 including Night Duty, A Sepia Photograph, Quietly Going Mad, and The Good Sheperd, which was nominated for a Sony Award. He worked for four years as a member of the scriptwriting team of BBC Radio’s longest running serial drama, The Archers.

He has written three novels for young adults, A Valley Full Of Thieves, and Blues For Eddie; and Maybe I'm Amazed, a collection of short stories (all published by Macmillan). His new novel The Storytellers is due to be published soon.

He has taught Creative and Script Writing to many and various age groups all over the world, from primary school kids to undergraduate students.

He is currently Community Co-ordinator at Highfields College of Performing Arts, Matlock, Derbyshire.

He’s written libretti for, among others, Paul and Virginie, a Community Opera for the people of Mauritius, in association with the MMTT and the British Council; and Red Azalea, based on the book by Anchee Min, with music by William Kraft. The latter was performed by New York City Opera in 2006. He is currently working on a 'jazz romance' Don't Explain, based on the lives and times of Billie Holiday and Lester Young.

With his wife, Louise Page, he has formed a company Words4work which runs courses, seminars and consultations for businesses who wish to improve the standard of their written English.

PLAYS FOR THEATRE include:

• Dole Queue Stories
  Itinerant Theatre Company, Sheffield
• Night Duty
  King's Head, Islington
• Love Bites
  I C A Theatre, London
• Four
  Duke's Playhouse, Lancaster
• The Play Of Jennet
  Duke's Playhouse, Lancaster
• The Day Room
  Library Theatre, Manchester
• On My Own Two Feet
  Studio, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
• The Travelling Players
  Birmingham Repertory Theatre
• The Wind In The Willows
  Duke's Promenade Season, Lancaster
• Bring Down The Sun
  Duke's Playhouse, Lancaster
• The Mayor Of Casterbridge
  Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
• Paul And Virginie
  Covent Garden Festival, M M T T
  Rose Hill Theatre, Mauritius
• Red Azalea
  English National Opera Works
  University of Santa Barbara, California
  New York City Opera VOX Festival

THEATRE-IN-EDUCATION & YOUNG PEOPLE'S THEATRE include

• On My Own Two Feet
  Duke's Theatre-in-Education Lancaster
• Pinocchio
  Theatr Powys
• Don Quixote
  Merseyside Young People's Theatre
• Young Jane
  Merseyside Young People's Theatre
• Ellen's Gold
  Merseyside Young People's Theatre
• The Ramayana
  Cleveland Theatre Company

PLAYS FOR RADIO 4 include:

• I Only Cry When I'm On My Own
• Night Duty
• Mister and The Waggers' Line
• A Sepia Photograph
• The Good Shepherd
• Quietly Going Mad
• Blues For Daniel
• The Snow Field
• Absolute Beginners
• The Cold Embrace
• Man-Sized In Marble
• The Demon Lover
• Afterward