John Paul lives in the City of Liverpool and has written 24 books including the well known anthology In Violet with award winning poetry and is the official biographer of two Italian saints: Clare of Assisi and Gemma Galgani of Lucca.
Studying photography in the 1970’s at the Laird School of Art in Merseyside led to a long career as a photographer in forensics (yes - the real life scary stuff of “Silent Witness”) before moving to general, commercial and documentary photography including film production. JP also spent twelve years on the Kensington Palace royal photographic rota working with Her Royal Highness Diana - Princess of Wales that turned into a rollercoaster adventure of priceless memories. John Paul has also featured on television, radio and as a real life character in Blake Morrison’s book of stories entitled Too True.
For the full story click on the book below and that will take you to a free United Kingdom cover version of the autobiography I Saw Her Standing There
Recently revised and expanded in 2024 with a surprise new ending. The new UK and USA versions each have their own different exclusive covers
Everybody has a time and place that means something. For me it was back in 1979. Led Zeppelin’s great epic last gig, I was there at Knebworth. It was a time when the world was young and I fell in love with a girl from a different shore. This is also a snapshot and soundtrack of a time when it was still cool to be children of the revolution and in a quest to fill our lives with peace and freedom there had to be a whole lotta love, other stuff and rock and roll … and plenty of it there was.
A true tale of two rebel hearts colliding together under a bright star.
Featuring a new prologue and epilogue by the legendary bands Hawkwind and Lindisfarne.
What the book world thinks
'A true tale of serendipity, love, and second chances. A captivating book that takes readers on a journey of unexpected connections and the transformative power of love. When two strangers cross paths in a chance encounter, their lives take an unforeseen turn. This beguiling story follows their unfolding relationship as they navigate the complexities of the past, confront their fears, and embrace the possibility of a shared future. "I Saw Her Standing There" is a true story that explores the magic of fate, the resilience of the human heart, and the joy of discovering love when least expected'
The Italian Saints Biographies
The two official biographies of Gemma Galgani of Lucca and Claire of Assisi transport you from the walled city of Lucca with its all year round heady jasmine infused scented air to the medieval hill top town of Assisi.
We travel from Gemma's early 20th century Tuscany story back nearly 900 years to Umbria with Clare to a place of breathtaking beauty among the trees, flowers, people and creatures of the sun discovering the true meaning of peace and love.
The Art Books
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Jan Kalinski (1956 - 2022) was a Kent based artist. Despite suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) for the last 40 years of his life he continued to paint with numb fingertips and produced a vast and remarkable collection of work. Curated in these two volumes are many works that capture his distinct style and these books also showcase some of his last paintings and include the striking Fab Four Beatles portraits published for the first time.
Photo credit - John Paul Kirkham with the Statue of Brian Epstein, Whitechapel, Liverpool.