Thomas

Bio:

Dr. Thomas is a novelist, proofreader, musician, and poet who holds an MA and an MPhil from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the University of London. He has published three novels through Lerner Books in the United States and has received awards including the Foyle Young Poet of the Year. He has five years’ experience tutoring students from elementary school to undergraduate level, with a focus on English literature and creative writing.

He has an abiding love of storytelling in all its forms, from Greek tragedy to video games, and remains unaccountably proud that he made a 70-year-old Shakespeare professor at Cambridge read his essay about shoujo manga. His PhD explored how the poets of the First World War influenced subsequent art but were mythologized in overly simplistic ways in the collective memory. He has a particular admiration for stories that deal with the theme of overcoming prejudice.

Between his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, he worked as a professional drummer, getting a record deal with his rock band and touring with bands like the Stereophonics. He has a passion for Tokyo’s live music scene, and once played the drums in a SMAP music video. One of his four current bands is working on a progressive metal album for release next year. He also has a fascination for renewable energy and recently had fun climbing about on his roof constructing a DIY solar panel system. He lives in a house in eastern Tokyo with his menagerie of rabbits, sugar gliders, goldfish, ornate frogs and axolotls, and likes to collect traditional Japanese garden decorations like stone lanterns.

• University of London – PhD

Curriculum Expertise

Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Essay Counseling

Subject Expertise

English