Jarrah’s passion for writing dates back to his boyhood, when he would produce his own picture books by drawing the illustrations and then dictating the narrative. It continued this way until he learned how to write. Later in his teenage years, he borrowed his grandmother’s typewriter and set to work on more elaborate storytelling. Jarrah was heavily influenced by works of Ian Fleming, Michael Crichton, and Chester Gould; various real-world historical events that made lasting impressions on his life; and the many hours he sunk into PlayStation games full of violence and mayhem. Other inspirations came from his step-grandfather Gordon Mitchell, who had been crippled during World War II and spent his winter years laying in bed and listening to horse racing. He would often tell Jarrah about his experiences in battle, as well as the legends of Ned Kelly.
Jarrah’s debut novel, Trojan SMERSH, is the culmination of a pet project nearly twenty-four years in the making. The year 2000 saw the beginning of what Jarrah considered a role-reversal of the relationship between the Reverend Awdry and his son. The Reverend famously wrote the Thomas The Tank Engine stories to entertain his bedridden son. Likewise, Jarrah typed a few chapters detailing the exploits of his fictional super spy protagonist, Sid Tanner. Of all the family members Jarrah showed these chapters, Gordon showed the most enthusiasm and intrigue. This motivated Jarrah to continue writing. Within five months, he had a complete manuscript. Sid Tanner ultimately became to Jarrah and Gordon what Thomas The Tank Engine was to the Awdrys.
By 2004, Jarrah had written a series of six manuscripts chronicling Sid Tanner’s exploits. Sadly, Gordon died in the months that followed the completion of the sixth story. On the night he died, Jarrah promised to make Sid Tanner known all around the world. Trojan SMERSH is set to be the first in an ongoing series of Sid Tanner thrillers. Jarrah hopes that millions of people around the world will be as entertained by Tanner’s escapades as much as Gordon was.
Jarrah White is an Australian filmmaker, astrophysicist and geologist. He has Certificate III & IV qualifications with distinctions in Screen and Media at the Sydney Institute of TAFE NSW, Australia; and a BSc with a Major in Geology and a Minor in Astrophysics completed in November 2017 and July 2019 respectively at Macquarie University. Jarrah has also acted in the Australian television comedies Fat Pizza and Darradong Local Council.