Author of popular novels about Sunderland’s female shipyard workers to give talk in South Shields

Nancy Revell has had huge success with her Shipyard Girls series which has made the Sunday Times bestseller list.

The author - whose real name is Amanda Revell Walton - finds inspiration for her novels from the real stories of the 700 women who went to work at Sunderland’s shipyards during the war while the men fought on the battlefields.

Their work proved pivotal to the war effort at a time when Sunderland was the biggest shipbuilding town in the world.

Amanda said: “I love The Word - it’s such an amazing place and still (in my opinion) relatively unknown. Whenever I do talks here I always make them really informal - so it’s more interactive and Q&A. I’m a great believer in talking with, rather than at.”

The latest, and sixth, instalment in the series, Courage of The Shipyard Girls, was released in February. Speaking about the book, the author said: “During my research for the Shipyard Girls series I am constantly taken aback by the bravery of those who lived through all the town’s air raids, as well as other bombings throughout the country. It is truly inspirational.”

Amanda, whose family worked in the area’s shipyards, has dedicated the latest instalment in the saga to Suzanne Brown and other members of Soroptimist International of Sunderland who she is working with to create a memorial statue in honour of the real Shipyard Girls. Plans are in place to install the statue on the former Vaux site in Sunderland once work has been completed to transform it into office and leisure space.

•Nancy Revell will host a talk at The Word as part of World Book Night on April 23 from 2pm to 3pm. There will also be a Q&A with Nancy. Tickets are £2 per person and are available from www.theworduk.org