Derek Smith is a writer who lives in the East End of London.  He writes books mainly for children but had an earlier career as a playwright.  For five years he has been running writing workshops in primary and secondary schools.  For ten years, until June 2006, he was tutor for the course Writing for Children at City University.

He has been involved in many community projects: as Writer-in-Residence for Soapbox Theatre in Newham, as one of the founders of Page One bookshop in Stratford and as a co-op development worker in Tower Hamlets.  He has had plays on radio, television and stage and had four novels published for children: Hard Cash (originally by Faber, now Earlham) which was adapted for radio, Frances Fairweather Demon Striker! (Faber) which was short-listed for the Children’s Book Award, The Good Wolf (Earlham) which won the David Thomas Award and Half a Bike (Faber).  He has written three books for younger children, The Magical World of Lucy-Anne (first published by Walker Books, now Earlham) and Lucy-Anne's Changing Ways (Earlham) which was one of the Book Trust's best 100 books in 2002, and Jack's Bus (Earlham).

Strikers of Hanbury Street and Other East End Tales was published in 2003 by Rhapsody. It contains 19 short stories, all set in the East End of London, and is his first book for grown ups.

hardcash@fsmail.net

Story-writing Workshops
Writing History

Thanks to Becky Rees for her invaluable help in making this site.