Al Gibson is an internationally published author based in England. He has worked in corporate communications for many years and his wealth of writing experience is now available through Countdown Creative Ltd. With a background in journalism, Al has written and edited several books and ebooks and is an active online contributor who blogs for numerous websites.

Early Career

Al was born in Zimbabwe in 1962 and graduated from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa with a Bachelor of Journalism and Media Studies in 1984. His first job was working as a student reporter for The Herald in Harare and after graduating he worked as a sub editor for the Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg. He attended Rhema Bible Training Centre in 1984 and was involved in publishing in South Africa for 17 years. Al worked on a broad spectrum of titles, from ComputerWeek, Engineering News and Marketing Mix to Homes and Gardens magazine. He started an editing and design business in 1990 and for 10 years specialised in newsletter production and magazine editing.

Al moved to the UK in 2001 and joined GOD TV where he worked for 18 years. During this time he was editor of the GOD TV Guide that was produced in different regions and translated into different languages, with a large global circulation. He also edited GOD TV.com for two years which attracts millions of readers each month. In three decades in the media, Al Gibson has interviewed and written about many well known leaders, asking what has been key to their success, and how they have overcome the hurdles that have stood in their way. A born encourager, Al is always looking to exhort others, particularly through the power of personal testimony.

Books

Life On The Line (Biography of Des Sinclair) While in South Africa in 2006, Al met the Kiwi evangelist who has fearlessly braved death many times. Des has risked everything to share a message of freedom in parts of Africa hostile to Christianity. The book urges readers to step out and do more with their lives than they imagined.

Mother of Malawi’ (Biography of Annie Chikhwaza). Annie has created an oasis of love in a country of orphans. Out of death and despair she has created a place of life and hope. Al met Annie at the Zimbabwe border post in 2006 and visited Kondanani Children’s Village in 2012. He was amazed to see all she has accomplished at the orphanage and children’s hospital and privileged to share her story of immense bravery.

Life After Belsen Book Cover

Life After Belsen (Biography of Simon Bloomberg). In 2015 Al was given a collection of 70-year-old diaries, historic documents, a faded manuscript, sepia photos and handwritten letters. The result is a new Holocaust-themed book that captures insights into the plight of the Jewish people and their battle for their own land.

Blogs

Al has been blogging for several years, initially here at algibsonauthor.com and then on a much larger scale as editor of GOD TV’s blog site, GODTV.com which has hits of one to three million per month. During this time he managed a team of voluntary writers and learned the principles of creating viral content. Though he has left GOD TV Al continues to write blogs for this international Christian audience.

Since he left GOD TV Al has built up three regional Christian blog sites including UK Christian International Christian and US Christian in partnership with other writers in these regions. During Lockdown, Al devised a workable strategy to build these sites up to a significant following. This process encompasses creative copywriting, SEO-optimised blogging and strategic social media posting and Al is available to share the principles behind this steady grwoth through Countdown Creative.

Business

Al started Countdown Creative Ltd in Exeter in 2021 with the aim of harnessing tried and tested journalistic principles with new technology in a quest to help individuals and businesses build their online presence. The company can also provide copywriting for websites, brochures and leaflets. It offers some PR services such as writing press releases as well as reputation management (for example setting up Wikipedia pages for high-profile individuals). Countdown also has a local component, promoting local entrepreneurship through Al’s Devon Business blog and listing of company profiles.

Al is married with six children and lives in Exeter, Devon where he attends Rediscover Church. An avid reader in his spare time, he likes to review books that he feels can make a difference in people’s lives.

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