SUBSCRIBER SPOTLIGHT
Share your writing success stories. If you subscribe to Writing Magazine and would like to feature here, email Tina Jackson, tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk
Wish you were here
‘I decided to combine two of my favourite hobbies – genealogy and postcards – and have recently published Posted in the Past, revealing the true stories behind more than 100 postcards sent during the early years of the 20th century,’ writes subscriber Helen Baggott.
‘When I began each postcard’s research, I never knew where I’d be taken. King Edward VII’s doctor, the man who helped prepare Kitchener’s last meal and a ten-year-old servant girl in Bath all had a story to share and it was thrilling to research each one.
‘As well as the stories behind the postcards, I’ve also included some tips for beginner genealogists. Researching your family tree is hugely enjoyable and I hope readers of my book will look at their own history and perhaps discover some surprising stories of their own.
‘There’s a definite interest in genealogy and social history – programmes like Who Do You Think You Are? and A House Through Time continue to attract strong viewing numbers – and this collection of true stories is another way for us to explore our past.
‘Postcards were the first real social media phenomenon of the 20th century and through them I reveal how our ancestors lived and worked – weavers, button makers, butlers, motor bus drivers, a fitter of sanitary appliances and even the owner of a steamship – industrious employment from mills to the sea.
‘As well as those stories that connect to household names, it’s the postcards written to children that are particularly moving. Did they survive childhood, the First World War? Did they marry, or was their life as brief as the postcard’s message?’
Website:www.stourcastle.co.uk
A conspiracy to create
‘Having just completed my third novel, An Invisible Nemesis, I think now is the perfect time to look back and reflect,’ writes subscriber Mal Foster.
‘Indeed, if someone had said to me just five short years ago that I would sit down and write a novel, I would have politely laughed at such a wild remark. ‘Fortunately, despite my early reservations, writing, publishing and then finally promoting my books has been an engaging and enjoyable experience which despite a few minor knock-backs has given me the confidence to carry on writing and ultimately produce my latest work.
‘The concept for An Invisible Nemesis remained on the back-burner for quite a while as I concentrated on other aspects of my writing. My first novel, The Asylum Soul, is an historical tale of incarceration set in 1929 while my second offering, Fly Back and Purify, is a paranormal drama set around a mysterious incident at a railway station in 1994.