John Holliday served in the Royal Air Force before going into the IT industry in the UK, in Canada and then Australia, where he founded and built a total of 9 businesses. John decided to record his experiences in the creation of those companies in the form of an autobiography. The result was ‘Toughing it Out: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur.’

A visit to a still-functioning orphanage in Jakarta, founded in 1832 by his ancestor, Walter Medhurst, kindled his interest in recording Walter's life. So became 'Mission to China: How an Englishman Brought the West to the Orient', published first in England followed by a Chinese version published in Taiwan.

During the research into Walter Medhurst's life, John uncovered the extraordinary life of Clara Colby, whose grandmother was Walter Medhurst's sister. Clara Colby, he determined, must be the subject of my next book. 'Clara Colby: The International Suffragist' records the amazing life of a forgotten suffragist who played a large role in securing American women the vote.

John lives with his wife, Colleen, on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.