Stephen J. Stoneham

Mr Stoneham started his teaching career as a tutor in the University of Sydney’s English department. He has taught English at many schools including Sydney Grammar in Australia, Milton Academy in Boston and Marlborough College in the UK. He gained his first Head of English position in 1986 at the Emanuel School in Sydney and became its first Deputy Headmaster. He has held many executive positions in leading schools and universities and has been a principal of a university college for overseas students.

He has a Bachelor’s (Honours) degree and a Master’s (Honours) degree from Sydney University. He has a certificate in Gifted Education from the University of NSW, having gained a ‘High Distinction’ in a course he initially regarded as bunkum and yet became unexpectedly interested enough to register to study for a PhD in that field.

He works with schools, universities and tuition colleges in Sydney through Stoneham Education Consulting. His most recent projects involve helping talented Year 12 students to improve their essay writing and helping university students with their academic writing. He runs small groups for gifted students from Sydney’s finest selective schools’ Years 3 – 12 and does some editing/writing of school policies, publications and reports. He writes essays on pop culture and business, and has written reams on literature for teaching purposes. He has written an English textbook, a novel, his favourite satirical book based on an imaginary character called The Poire (complete with illustrations by his talented sister and music notation from his talented jazz saxophonist son) and now this collection of short stories and vignettes. He says he plans to give up writing, having said all he wanted to say.

He still plays guitar with bands, strives to improve his jazz improvisation, when his back is not sore takes his carbon fibre surf ski out on Sydney Harbour, loves his dog, Scout, to a point beyond infinity and loves his wife and family almost as much.