A.J. Mackinnon was born in Australia in 1963 and travelled as a boy on P&O liners between Australia and England, developing a love of slow travel. He started his teaching career in 1984 and has worked in various schools around the world, sharing his passion for English Literature, mathematics, drama, art and philosophy with countless students over the years. He now lives in the Victorian High Country of Australia, where he continues to love his teaching, his garden and various other creative projects. He is the author of the international bestseller The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow and The Well at the World's End. His latest book is Quaint Deeds.