Washington author's inspiring new book for children due to be published in January

A Wearside author has had his first book published, and it will be on the market later this month.
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David Swift from Teal Farm is a lecturer on primary education at the University of Sunderland. He has long experience in primary schools, including as a head teacher.

Something he became known for as a teacher was inventing stories and poems to amuse his students. He has aimed the book at children of primary age.

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It is called April the Engineer. The title character is a girl who dreams of becoming an engineer when she grows up and refuses to be put off by people telling her that she is “only a girl”.

April the Engineer, by children's author David Swift, is out on January 31.April the Engineer, by children's author David Swift, is out on January 31.
April the Engineer, by children's author David Swift, is out on January 31.

David, 53, has a grown up daughter and son with his wife Lisa, a nurse, who encouraged him to look for a publisher.

The beautifully illustrated book has been taken up by London publishers Austin Macauley, who have shown great faith in the former St Aidan’s pupil.

David said: “I wrote it in 2020. I was on supply teaching duties. I love making up stories for children. One girl in my class asked me if I could make up a story about a girl who fixes things.

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“So I came up with a story about April, who goes round her town wanting to do just that. She meets a lad whose bike is broken. She also mends a pushchair and eventually a lorry.

"It’s all written in rhyme, a bit like The Gruffalo; and there’s a recurring phrase that runs through.

“She keeps being told ‘You’re a girl, you can’t help me.’ It challenges stereotypes. I’d watched the film Hidden Figures a couple of nights before and it put the idea in my head of making April a black girl and having another stereotype to overcome.

“It only took me about 45 minutes to put down in writing. Lisa read it and said I should send it to a publisher.

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“I’ve got other stories in my head and wrote another a couple of months ago.”

April the Engineer will be released in paperback on January 31 and available through Waterstone’s, from Amazon or directly from Austin Macauley.

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