Mavis Cheek was born and brought up in Wimbledon, London. She failed her Eleven Plus twice, and she left her secondary modern school with no qualifications, where she also failed in her bid to become a good secretary. However, this did not prevent her from getting a job at the contemporary art publishers, Editions Alecto. She started off as a receptionist, but then was then moved to their gallery in Ablemarle Street as she learnt more about art. Her job allowed her to mix with artists such as Allen Jones, David Hockney, Gillian Ayres, and Patrick Caulfield. She left this job after 12 years to continue her education, and graduated from Hillcroft College for Women with a distinction in arts. She had a baby daughter, and decided to devote her time to writing. She found success with journalism, travel writing, and then short stories. Mavis Cheek did not have a great deal of success when she submitted her first novel to agents. It was a stream of consciousness novel about a businessman and poet manqué in his early sixties, with lots of high talk about arcane stuff. Imogen Parker, who was working as a literary agent at the time, wrote back to Mavis Cheek to say that she would not be interested in publishing the novel, but was willing to give the would-be author 5 minutes of her time if she happened to be passing her door. Naturally enough, Mavis Cheek happened to be passing Imogen Parker’s door the very next day. They got on very well, and Imogen advised Mavis to write the way she talked, as she found her to be most entertaining. Mavis Cheek’s first published novel, Pause Between the Acts came out in 1988, and won the She/John Menzies First Novel Prize. The spark that brought it to life was Mavis Cheek’s dismay at the discovery that the actor Ian McKellen, whom she fancied, was gay. Mavis Cheek has been prolific ever since, and has written the following titles: Parlour Games(1989), Dog Days (1990), Janice Gentle gets Sexy (1993), Aunt Margaret’s Lover (1994), Sleeping Beauties (1996), Getting Back Brahms (1997), Three Men on a Plane (1998), Mrs. Fytton’s Country Life (2000), The Sex Life of my Aunt (2002), Patrick Parker’s Progress (2004), and Yesterday’s Houses (2006). Her most recent novel is Amenable Women (2008). She also works as a volunteer in Erlestoke Prison, where she teaches creative writing. Mavis Cheek was one of the judges that chose the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood for the Royal Institute of British Architects Award. After years of living in London, Mavis Cheek has now moved to the Country.