Joseph Delaney

Life and career

Delaney was born in 1945 in Preston, Lancashire. He attended Preston Catholic College and then worked as an apprentice engineer and fitter. He studied A levels at night school before beginning his degree course at Lancaster University in 1972. Following graduation he eventually became an English teacher at the Blackpool Sixth Form College, where he helped start the Media and Film Studies Department.

His first works were written under the pseudonym J. K. Haderack. Beginning with the publication of the first book of The Wardstone Chronicles in 2004, published under his real name, Delaney achieved international success chronicling the adventures of his lead character, Thomas Ward. The Wardstone Chronicles are published in 25 countries, and sales have exceeded a million copies.

Delaney retired from teaching following publication of the second of the Wardstone books and now writes full-time. He identifies J.R.R. Tolkien and Frank Herbert as two authors who were his biggest inspirations. Delaney shares the same name (including middle name) with the late Joseph H. Delaney, an American science fiction author of several books and short stories.

He has three children and nine grandchildren.

The Wardstone Chronicles

The Wardstone Chronicles (published in America as The Last Apprentice) follow Tom Ward, the seventh son of a seventh son, on his adventures as apprentice to John Gregory, the local "Spook" or master fighter of supernatural evil. John is the Spook for "the County" and gives Tom practical instruction on tackling ghosts, ghasts, witches, boggarts, and all manner of other things that serve "The Dark". Tom soon discovers that most of his predecessors have failed for various reasons – including death. As the Chronicles progress the focus expands to other characters such as the assassin Grimalkin and the young witch Alice Dean; overall the series develops the plot line of Tom being destined to either save the world or destroy it. "The County" referred to in the Chronicles is based on Lancashire in the north west of England. Several of the locations mentioned in the books are thinly-veiled versions of actual places; Priestown is the author's hometown of Preston, Caster is Lancaster, Black Pool is Blackpool, and Chipenden is Chipping.

1. The Spook's Apprentice (America: The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch) – 2004
2. The Spook's Curse (America: The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane) – 2005
3. The Spook's Secret (America: The Last Apprentice: Night of the Soul Stealer) – 2006
4. The Spook's Battle (America: The Last Apprentice: Attack of the Fiend) – 2007
5. The Spook's Mistake (America: The Last Apprentice: Wrath of the Bloodeye) – 2008
6. The Spook's Sacrifice (America: The Last Apprentice: Clash of the Demons) – 2009
7. Spook's Nightmare (America: The Last Apprentice: Rise of the Huntress) – 2010
8. Spook's Destiny (America: The Last Apprentice: Rage of the Fallen) – 2011
9. Spook's: I Am Grimalkin (America: The Last Apprentice: Grimalkin The Witch Assassin) – 2011
10. The Spook's Blood (America: The Last Apprentice: Lure of the Dead ) – 2012
11. Spook's: Slither's Tale (America: The Last Apprentice: Slither) – 2013
12. Spook's: Alice (America: The Last Apprentice: I Am Alice) – 2013
13. The Spook's Revenge (America: The Last Apprentice: Fury of the Seventh Son) – 2014

The Starblade Chronicles

The Starblade Chronicles are a planned trilogy following the continued adventures of Tom Ward, who has finished his apprenticeship and is now a Spook in his own right dedicated to fighting an unparalleled evil threatening the County, and the world. However, unlike past Spooks, Tom is only seventeen, and he is met with doubt and distrust by many in the County owing to his age. Complicating matters is his interactions with Jenny; the fifteen-year-old girl who seeks to be his apprentice, notwithstanding that women have never been Spooks before. The Wardstone and Starblade Chronicles are jointly referred to as The Spook's Series.

1. Spook's: A New Darkness – 2014
2. Spook's: The Dark Army – 2016
3. Spook's: The Dark Assassin – 2017

The Wardstone Chronicles spin-offs

Delaney has also written spin-off novels set in the world of The Wardstone Chronicles:

Arena 13 Trilogy

Arena 13 is planned trilogy following the adventures of sixteen-year-old Leif, who seeks to become the champion of the notorious Arena 13 fighting pit and destroy Hob, the evil creature who rules and terrorises the city zone of Midgard and who destroyed Leif's family.

1. Arena 13 – 2015
2. Arena 13: The Prey – 2016
3. Arena 13: The Warrior – 2017

Other works

Adaptations

In 2014, Stephen Delaney, Joseph Delaney's son, adapted The Spook's Apprentice into a 160-page play script; it is published under the title The Spook's Apprentice – Play Edition.

A 2014 film adaptation of The Spook's Apprentice was produced by Legendary Pictures, directed by Sergey Bodrov, and entitled Seventh Son. Ben Barnes played Tom Ward, Jeff Bridges was the Spook, Julianne Moore was Mother Malkin, Alicia Vikander was Alice Deane, Kit Harington was Billy Bradley, Djimon Hounsou was Radu (an original character), and Antje Traue was Boney Lizzie.