Peter W. J. Hayes

SHort Stories

My Story

Peter W. J. Hayes was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, conveniently between lunch and teatime, as his mother was fond of saying. He spent his early years living in Newcastle and Paris, France, before his family immigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Chinese language studies—and a college degree in Chinese and Japanese history—led him to Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China in the early 1980s. While living in Taiwan, he completed the handwritten draft of a novel, and once back in Pittsburgh, took creative writing classes at the University of Pittsburgh. Asked to join a weekly writing group by his creative writing professor, he remained a member for fifteen years and published two short stories in literary magazines that, thankfully, no longer exist. Fortunately, that first handwritten novel was misplaced.

During those years Peter also wrote for two Pittsburgh newspapers and a market research firm, before moving to a local company to write advertising, direct mail and public relations copy. 

Peter then joined the marketing department of a Pittsburgh FORTUNE 500 company and rose to Director of Marketing. Six years later that company merged with a Wall Street investment bank. As Chief Marketing Officer of the new company, he was responsible for all global marketing activities and held that position for almost six years before retiring.

Finally able to write on a regular schedule, he has published more than a dozen short stories in various on-line and print publications, won or been shortlisted for several writing awards, and is currently working on the novels of his Pittsburgh Trilogy. Peter and his wife, Sono, live just outside Pittsburgh in the village of Sewickley, where he tries to write every day, conveniently between lunch and teatime.