Joe Gardner is an author from West London. Heavily influenced by writers from across the centuries, from Dickens and Kafka to Pratchett, Adams and Gaiman, as well as British cinema and the psychology of the young and drunk, Gardner penned his first novel, The Life and Loves of Jet Tea in 2013. Gardner also regularly writes and performs darkly comic folk songs, going by the stage name 'Groke', named after the antagonist of the Finnish children's book series 'The Moomins', by Tove Jansson. Many of the themes of his songs are further explored in his fiction.
Joe Gardner is currently working on his second, as yet untitled novel; a ghost story set upon the bleak Kentish coast.
His regularly updated blog, which features short stories, film reviews and tongue-in-cheek topical articles, can be found at JoeBlogs