Matt White (Author)

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Matt White (Author of The Styx)

White Fact File: Born: 25/10/76, Birthplace: Dagenham, Essex. Horoscope: Scorpio. Occupation: Author, Cowboy. Hobbies: Film, Contemporary poetry, Football (West Ham), Singer. Nicknames: Whitey, Bin Juice Renegade, Nils, TEES (The East End Scorpion), Chutney, White-o-saurus. Look-a-likes: Richard Branson crossed with Eddie Izzard. Favourite Car: Ford Fiesta XR2i (with full body kit). 3 most influential people: David Lynch, Kofi Annan, Matt Flanagan. Favourite Animal: Hen. Favourite Artists / Bands: Erasure, R.E.M., N.W.A, Simply Red. Likes the most: Horror, Pie 'n' Mash. Dislikes the most: Tottenham Hotspur, Animal Cruelty, Homophobia. Favourite Song: I'm forever blowing bubbles / Never gonna give you up (Rick Astley). Favourite Colour: Burgundy (West Ham colours!).

Biopic

The early years - Author and horror fiend Matt White was Born in Dagenham, Essex. He was the youngest of 3 brothers to John & Margaret White. White's formative years were spent growing up in nearby Hornchurch. Always a popular figure and a friend to everyone, White was voted Pupils pupil of the year no less than 3 years in a row at Hall Mead School.

His brothers would provide a key role in developing White's fascination with Horror. Johnee and Jason would frequently allow a young White to watch their chilling and gruesome movies. This early exposure had an impact on the impressionable White - to the extent that concerned teachers contacted his parents over the sickening contents of an English assignment (however they also commented on the natural talent for writing a young Matt White possessed). It didn't stop there. Following puberty, White became influenced by a strange musical combination with risque acts such as Erasure and Frankie goes to Hollywood combining with the likes of Wu-Tang and N.W.A. White went on to have a Wu-Tang tattoo, as well as adopting certain mannerisms similar to those of Andy Bell and Holly Johnson.

After leaving school, White went to work with his brother at an Insurance company in London but office life proved too stifling. Following an emotional altercation at work with his brother Jason, a tearful White vowed never to return to office work and searched for another vocation. In the interim, White engrossed himself in horror, reading several book and watching endless hours of film each week to the point where he began sleeping with the light on. Several jobs followed including one as a tourist guide in central London, a pizza delivery driver and a caretaker at a local school but nothing ever appealed sufficiently to White, who by this time was seeking self actualisation.

A man with a plan - On the brink of self destruction, White was re-invigorated by a short Self Help course, and having assessed his life goals and aspirations, White set his sights on writing a novel and becoming a published author. At the outset, he remembered the saying 'never drive faster than your guardian can fly' and decided that this would not be a rushed affair.

He began writing and enrolled on a Film and Creative Writing degree course at Derby University. Initially White found it difficult to focus on his course and novel with the hedonistic lifestyle of freshment year proving all too tempting. A year of excess followed. Having scraped into his 2nd year at Derby, White moved out of the Halls of Residence he found disruptive and spent the remaining years in a house. There White found solace and concentrated his mind on writing (under the working title 'Heaven is a place in Essex'). University proved pivotal to White's aspirations as he gained greater insight through his course, matured as a writer, while living in an environment that was both enjoyable and inspiring with his almost watertight group of friends.

As White's novel began to take shape, he began to show his close friends excerpts to gauge their opinions on the quality of his work. One one occasion, a close friend was close to being physically sick after reading a few pages of a chapter. White's confidence grew and his writing became more prolific. He focussed his thoughts, and the story began to evolve into a turbulent, provocatively abhorrent world, littered with unsettling imagery and jet black comedy.

Following university, White decided to dedicate himself to his novel, now titled 'The Styx' (named after the river in Greek mythology, rather than the band). The novel had rapidly taken shape as White's creativity blossomed. Not entering permanent job market immediately, he moved back to his parents home in Hornchurch, became a horror film critic on culture website www.letsgoretro.com under the imaginative pseudonym 'Matt Black', funding himself with part time jobs as school caretaker and an 'odd job man'. Soon White was seeking an agent for his completed novel. Part 1 of his goal was completed. During this time, White became involved in the creation of the L.M.G. music festival with 2 university friends with the ultra ambitous goal of rivalling Glastonbury and becoming the number one fesitval in the country. Although the first two festivals were on a small scale, the festival proved to be a huge success. The 2nd L.M.G. in August 2006 was moved to a larger venue, and the expanded festival was once again a massive hit with the paying public. White began to sniff the fame and adulation he had craved, hoping that success would breed success, It did. White quickly found an agent for The Styx and the dream that had been 10 years in the making had finally been realised.

The Styx is available www.amazon.com, www.authorhouse.com, www.letsgoretro.com

You can contact Matt White on MySpace: www.myspace.com/enterthestyx