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Jo BeverleyEnglish-Canadian writer
Date of Birth: 22.09.1947
Country:  Canada |
Content:
- Biography of Jo Beverley
- Early Life and Education
- Marriage and Career
- Literary Career
- Career Breakthrough
- Success and Recognition
Biography of Jo Beverley
Jo Beverley, born Mary Josephine Dunn on September 22, 1947, in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, is an Anglo-Canadian writer known for her prolific output of historical and contemporary romance novels since 1988. She meticulously researches each of her works, using historical details to create a strong connection between her characters and pushing the boundaries of historical romance novels. Her books have been translated into multiple languages.
Early Life and Education
At the age of seven, Jo began her education at St Mary's Catholic Academy, a boarding school for girls in Blackpool. At sixteen, she wrote her first novel, set in the medieval period, chapter by chapter in a notebook. Jo studied history and American studies at Keele University, Staffordshire, from 1966 to 1970. The university's comprehensive foundation year course and access to Regency-era newspaper archives greatly helped Jo develop the depth of her writing talent.
Marriage and Career
On June 24, 1971, Jo married scientist Ken Beverley, whom she met at university. With her degree in hand, Jo quickly secured a position as a youth employment counselor. She held this position until 1976, initially working in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, and later in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire. In 1976, Jo moved to Canada with her husband, who had been offered a research position at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. When she discovered that her academic qualifications were not in demand in the Canadian job market, she decided to focus on developing her writing skills.
Literary Career
Many characters from Jo's "Company of Rogues Series" were borrowed from her earlier manuscript titled "A Regency Rape." By that time, she had moved away from the strict literary boundaries dictated by Regency romance traditions and established her own literary hybrid. Drawing on the genre of Regency romance, Jo's works included a wider range of characters, while paying homage to the genre's founder, Georgette Heyer. Her novels expanded upon Heyer's extensive knowledge of Regency-era society. For a long time, Jo's works remained unpublished as she dedicated her time to raising her two young sons and participating in the movement advocating for women's right to choose where and how to give birth. Her experience as a mother allowed her to portray childbirth with a special tenderness, caution, and realism in her novels. She always depicted the arrival of new life in a positive light.
Career Breakthrough
A turning point in Jo's writing career occurred when she moved to Montreal. On May 23, 1984, she attended a lecture titled "The Role of Romance in Fiction" given by Janet Adams at the Beaconsfield Library. Adams, an executive council member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA), removed the blocks that had surrounded the mysterious world of writing for Jo. Moreover, Adams appreciated Jo's writing style and agreed to become her literary agent. In 1984, Jo relocated with her family to Ottawa, where she became one of the founding members of the Ottawa Romance Writers Association (ORWA) a year later. ORWA provided stability and support for Jo over the next twelve years.
Success and Recognition
In 1988, Jo, who had already achieved success in the speculative fiction genre, became a finalist in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. That same year, she sold her first romance novel, propelling her to true success in the romance genre. Although she shifted her focus away from speculative fiction, elements of it occasionally appear in some of her novels and stories. Jo and her husband Ken eventually returned to England and currently reside in Dawlish, Devon. Her works have been translated into many languages and have won numerous awards, including five RITA Awards, two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times magazine, as well as The Golden Leaf Award and the Readers' Choice Award. As a member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA), Jo is the only Canadian romance author to be inducted into the RWA Hall of Fame.
