About

CJ Bennett was born in Leeds, UK, in 1988. ‘CJ’ are his first two initials and, being a bit weird referring to CJ all the time, his first name is Chris. Let’s use that here.

Chris went to a local grammar school and throughly hated traditional education. After spending a year out, working in a bookstore and learning graphic design, he enrolled at Dewsbury College of Art and Design to study Graphic Communication for two years. Chris enjoyed his studies, and subsequently secured a placed at Norwich University College of the Arts (now know as Norwich University of the Arts) studying the now defunct, and mostly pointless, Visual Studies. Yes, it’s as vague as you’re imaging.

Three years later, Chris graduated with a first-class BA(Hons) and proceeded with a career in graphic design. After a couple of years, and realising he wasn’t that good as a designer, Chris switched into marketing, and has worked there ever since. Chris currently works as Head of Strategy for a branding agency in the North of England.

Chris has been a voracious reader since age four, starting out with everything Wilbur Smith had written at the time. (Thanks for the light intro to literature at that tender age, Dad – CJ). After finding a route into fantasy via Earthsea and the Belgariad, science fiction was up next with Azimov, Clarke and Heinlein.

Chris has always wanted to write, but never got around to it. At all. Until October 2024. Why? Who knows. But it’s fun and people seem to like it – so he’s going to continue doing it. His debut novel, Talisman’s Fate, launches at some point in 2026. Chris currently lives in Leeds with his wife and young son.