James Holbrook

Born in London the year the Beatles recorded "Rubber Soul", and the month Bob Dylan started the UK tour, immortalised in "Don’t Look Back", James’ early influences included the comic book supervillain, the gothic horror novel and Edgar Allen Poe. Visiting Holland and Germany during the mid 80's left lasting impressions.  Losing himself in northern England at college he woke up in the Catskill Mountains with an English and American Studies degree, working at summer resorts for adults with learning disabilities. After road trips across the USA by greyhound bus and car and time with a circus he floated back to the UK.  In 1989 he lived for a year in Massachusetts, where he visited Jack Kerouac’s hometown of Lowell, missed Gene Clark’s concert in Worcester and couldn’t get time off from work to attend Abbie Hoffman’s funeral. Fifteen years in residential care services working for adults with learning disabilities and teenagers, culminated in managing fourteen residential care projects in south London. During this period he fled to Europe for respite, finding clues in Brittany and Scotland. Over twenty years, much of his experience was recorded in freeform poetry. After a Damascus Road experience not unconnected with the Netherlands and psychedelic music James turned his life towards promoting music, literature and creative artists in various fields. A day job working with an opinion poll and survey organisation gives him the flexibility to push forward projects in multiple media.