Hello. My name is John Bensalhia.
I was born in London in 1974 (Lambeth) and from a young age, was interested in writing and drawing. I remember writing my own short stories and scribbling doodles and cartoons as a kid.
That interest always stuck with me, although in the end, I chose writing as a career. Nothing puts you off drawing more than doing A Level Art (although that wasn’t the end by a long chalk… just a pause).
After graduating in English, I then obtained a diploma in Magazine Journalism and Magazine Law. A career in the legal profession never appealed (plus, those wigs always look a bit weird), so magazine journalism it was.
I worked for a number of companies on papers and magazines, both as a sub-editor and writer. These included PA Listings, Builders Merchants Journal, Business Franchise and What Franchise.
In 2010, I decided to go it alone and took the plunge to go freelance. I have been fortunate enough to write for a wide range of magazines and websites including Italy Magazine, Breakbulk, CloserStill Media, Speciality Food Magazine, Port Strategy, Hoist Magazine, Den Of Geek, Shadowlocked, French Property News and Teach Secondary.
But that also wasn’t the end of my interest in art. In 2020, I brushed off the pencil set and sketchpad, and started to draw again. I have even managed to sell some of my finished artwork pieces and also drew some specially commissioned portraits for clients.
You can discover more of my writing and artwork on this website. Thanks for looking in!
