How growing up in Sunderland inspired a city author's latest book
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The book is about sibling rivalry set amongst the streets of Sunderland.
“They say you should write about what you know, which is why I chose to set the book in Sunderland,” says a city author about his latest release.
Lee Stewart, from Castletown, self-published his first book last year, memoirs about growing up in Downhill during the ‘80s and ‘90s called I Come From A Land Asunder.
And he’s returned to Sunderland for his second book, Hope There’s Someone.
Released on July 31 on Amazon, Kindle and in paperback, the fiction book is set in Lee’s home city.
“I finished my memoirs last year and really enjoyed the writing process,” explained Lee, who juggles writing with working as an operating department practitioner (ODP) at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
“I read a lot of fiction, so decided to turn to that for this book. There’s not a lot of TV or books set in Sunderland, which is also why I decided to set the book here. It’s fictional, but there are subtle references to Sunderland in there and places people will know.”
Hope There’s Someone tells the story of 21-year-old Chris Paige who’s left Sunderland for university in Manchester, but has to return to look after his 13-year-old sister Jess after the death of their mum.
“It’s about the promise of a good life, but having to give that up and the struggle to come back,” said Lee, who has also turned his hand to writing stage plays. “It’s about how life changes after a death and how the dynamic changes between the siblings.”
The description on Amazon reads: “For readers of Shuggie Bairn, Trainspotting and This Is England. This is a raw and darkly funny portrait of grief, poverty, and lost potential in Modern Britain."
*Hope There’s Someone is released on July 31, but can be pre-ordered at amazon.co.uk