Seen on the Green Famous Faces From Chingford by Thom Goddard This Month: Joe Dever Joe Dever

has worked with some of the most famous people in the music industry, sold over 10 million books, been a World Champion and is idolized by millions of fans. How can you not have heard of this legendary Old Chingfordian? Joe Dever was born in 1956 at Chingford Hospital. At the age of seven he happened upon the science fiction comic strip The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire in the magazine Look and Learn and became fascinated by fantasy adventures. This lead Joe to the classic adventure books of Beowulf, Ivanhoe, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein. Encouraged by his English teacher at Buckhurst Hill County High School (now closed), Joe began to write his own fantasy adventure stories. After leaving school in 1974, Joe Dever needed a job and found it in the music industry as a Recording Engineer for Richard Bransons Virgin Music working with Peter Gabriel, Frank Zappa and The Sex Pistols. During a recording session in Los Angeles in 1979 he became interested in the game Dungeons & Dragons and in 3 years became World Champion1. Spurred on by this success Joe Dever quit the music industry and created the fantasy adventure Lone Wolf. The series of 32 books have sold over ten and a half million copies around the world. The central character, Lone Wolf, is the last Kai Warrior who must defend his homeland of Sommerlund against the evil Darklords. The series has won the Gamesmaster Internation All Time Great Award, Game Book of the Year Awards in 1985, 1986 and 1987, and Best Fantasy Game Book Award in 2010. Is all that enough? Not for Joe Dever. He is writing more books for his legions of fans, is a consultant for Sony, has designed several computer games and likes to fly planes. Joe still lives in the area but you may not be able to catch him if you see him. So do keep a look out for anyone you meet in the Mount or have seen on the Green! If you spot anyone contact: seenonthegreen@allstartalent.co.uk
1. Considered World Champion. Actual title 1982 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Championship of America Champion.