Cancer and Writing
Ian Boyd began writing fiction novels in 2017, soon finding his way into the YA and middle grade fantasy genres with a focus on Australian environmental issues. After being diagnosed with advanced metastatic prostate cancer in March of 2020, he refocussed on his own personal cancer experiences, and those of his family in the months following losing his older brother to childhood cancer in the 1970s. The road ahead for his writing is open to general fiction, fantasy, and all possibilities that lie between.
My Story
Ian Boyd is an active member of the South Australian children’s literature community, serving in 2022-23 as Vice President of the Children’s Book Council of Australia SA Branch. Prior to his pursuits in the fiction novel artform, writing had always been an integral part of Ian’s existence, from poetry and songwriting to a brief stint as a journalist for a tourist magazine. He also produces StorySnorts, an improvised children’s theatre show based upon the principles of story creation. Ian was born in Melbourne, Victoria, before moving to South Australia where he spent his childhood years in the once small town of Mount Barker, and his adult years in the city of Adelaide. His career has included several small businesses, the most notable being 20 years in landscape gardening and 2 years as a children’s entertainer. He is married with three adult daughters, enjoys playing his acoustic guitar or piano while singing along, and has lived with advanced prostate cancer since being diagnosed early in 2020.