Bio:Ivor W. Hartmann

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Ivor W. Hartmann resides in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Hartmann was born in the 1970s in Harare, Zimbabwe. He is the youngest of three siblings. He penned his first short story at the age of fourteen.

The story was a rather gruesome, blood soaked tale about werewolves that scared the hell out of his demure English Literature teacher. So much so, that an immediate, rather gruelling, parent conference was called, to discuss the disturbing level of graphic detail.

During high school he was finalist in some national school competitions in both writing and fine art.

Four years later, when leaving high school, he was faced with a choice between becoming a fine artist or a writer. He initially chose fine art.

One year later Hartmann presented his first artworks in a public exhibition, which were met with mildly encouraging local reviews. In the process of arranging the exhibition, he formed the beginnings of Art Now! This soon grew to become a registered artist’s collective that held ongoing monthly exhibitions and workshops. He followed this path for seven years, but met with minimal success and paying public reception to his surrealist abstract works. In 1998, he finally chucked in the brush and changed artistic mediums from oils on canvas to shovel in earth.

Giving away all his artworks, he leapt into Permaculture and Organic Farming. With long-term plans to start up a medicinal herbal farm in Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands, he studied and worked organic farming for five years. This plan, however, was shattered by the final descent of Zimbabwe into full-blown chaos.

With all the land in Zimbabwe under threat from random expropriation and the rapidly spiralling devaluation of Zimbabwe's dollar, it meant not one of the previously interested investors would touch his farm proposals. Therefore, Hartmann reluctantly joined the estimated 3.4 million economic exiles that fled the country. He finally moved to Johannesburg, South Africa.

After a year spent waiting tables and studying, Hartmann formed Damn Fine Production in response to landing the special effects for a six part sci-fi mini-series. From effects to music videos, DFP thrived, going on to win a Kora for Best Music Video in 2005. The music video was Nessun Dorma by the Afrotenors and his directorial debut. It was however when dipping into writing screenplays that he considered resuming writing.

Hartmann's focus on writing has led to: The formation of The IWH Inquirer[1], a non-fiction article site primarily based on research for his stories. The formation of a fiction writer’s site and group called StoryTime[2]. Online publication of the numerous non-fiction articles from The IWH Inquirer, at various online ezines and article sites. Print publication of a non-fiction article in Future Guide SA. Print publication of a fiction short story Earth Rise[3], in the sci-fi/horror magazine Something Wicked[4] issue7 [5].

Hartmann is currently (March 2009) always working on at least one novel and multiple short works.

Earth Rise was nominated in March 2009 for The Ursa Major Award[6] in the Short Fiction category.