If I’ve been quiet (see: rubbish at keeping up my blog) lately, then it’s probably down to the fact that I’ve been writing a book. I signed a contract with The History Press last year, around September time, and agreed to have the book finished by the end of March 2017.
The book, ‘Sunderland Industrial Giant: Recollections of Working Life,’ is a social history of my hometown, Sunderland, and its days as, well… an industrial giant, so says the title. I spent the first few months finding people to interview, conducting those interviews and then editing the audio, before finally transcribing and beginning to put together a narrative of sorts.
Cue images of a frustrated writer, furiously typing in a public place (let’s say Starbucks), with a large (overpriced) cup of coffee, making everyone painfully aware that THEY ARE A WRITER. Actually, though, it was mostly just me on a laptop, in my dining room (for a change of scene), annoying my other half by whining when things didn’t go how I wanted them and occasionally gazing out of the window to watch our rabbit (Biscuit) running around the garden.
I got there in the end, as I knew I always would (the contract said I had to, so, you know…) and the book is now with my editor. I’ll spend the next few weeks/months relentlessly chewing my nails down to the quick until publication in November.
Here’s the front cover:
I’m rather excited 🙂
