Alan Hemming was born in 1956 and has lived all his life in the English Midlands. After studying engineering at Cambridge University he worked as a mechanical engineer for some years until he unexpectedly developed an interest in computer programming and switched to software development. After an unsuccessful attempt to start his own software company, he found himself doing various odd jobs for a while - a period he thinks of as his 'wilderness years'. It was during this time that he first experimented with writing fiction in the form of short stories. He was quite unprepared for the effect his had on him. It was not just a rewarding experience, but a deeply emotional one. From then on, he felt that writing was an essential part of his life. Alan's ambition is to write a full-length novel, but in 2022 he also decided to write the story of his own life. The guiding principles of this autobiography were to be total honesty and zero censorship, regardless of how that reflected on Alan and those around him. The first volume "Childhood" is now available as an ebook from the usual online sources. It tells the story in parallel strands covering the approximate age range of 0 to 11. The second volume 'Growing Up' should be ready by the end of 2023. Alan's other interests include vegetable growing and classical music.