Graham Sheppard

Born a war babe in Shepton Mallet, Somerset in 1944, Graham spent most of his formative years in Barnes, SW London, where his parents ran a tobacconist and confectionery shop. Running was an early attraction when winning the half-mile at his secondary school, but with the River Thames only yards from his front door, his sporting interests switched in his teens to rowing, reaching the semi-finals at Henley Royal Regatta in 1970. Running was always an interest however and Graham completed the London Marathon four times in his 40s. Taking the opportunity of an early retirement in 1997, after 34 years working for the Sun Life Assurance Society, the idea was to finish writing his novel, Potential, a task only completed last year. The era and background of Potential have seen many changes throughout the years but the main characters are as you meet them today. Graham currently lives in Cambridgeshire with his second wife, Ellie. His sporting activities these days are centred around table tennis, playing in two local leagues.