Local Author - On the Streets of Hedge End

By Caroline_W | Friday, August 07, 2009, 09:31

Ever opened a book and found it’s set in your home town? Well Daniel Clay’s 'Broken' is just that – set in Hedge End.

The novel is an update of Harper Lee’s 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and has eleven year-old Skunk Cunningham in a coma from which she views events as they happen to her own family, school-friends and the Oswald family – the ‘neighbours from hell’.

Published last year, the name of Drummond Square, in which the main action takes place is fictional, but plenty of real places make an appearance.

Daniel, who’s lived in Hedge End since 2003 says, ‘I don’t know what it is about Hedge End that makes me enjoy setting my novels here so much, except it’s such a normal every-day sort of place that it makes my writing seem much more real to me’.

Daniel says he experienced the typical writer’s struggle to get into print, but that since last year reaction to Broken has been phenomenal. Now published in the US and Canada as well as here in the UK, the book has also been translated into Dutch and Italian, was shortlisted for two first novel awards and BBC Films have optioned the film rights.

For more about the novel see the review published in The Independent, and look out for Daniel’s second book, which he’s working on now and which is also set in Hedge End.

In the meantime, Broken is published by Harper Press, and Daniel is very kindly donating a free signed copy for the first five ‘local people’ to comment on this story – whether you’ve already read the novel or have been meaning to, or if you just want to comment on having a book set in your home-town.

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Comments

I'll certainly look out for the book, and its sequel. now that I know about it.

By TGRWorzel at 15:55 on 05/11/09
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I had the pleasure of meeting Daniel Clay and found him very encouraging to we writers at Writers in Southampton. He gave an excellent talk and described his by no means easy path to publication vividly. I was particularly interested in the fact that he was prepared to work with the publisher and put in huge amounts of work on this novel - and it paid off too, hurray for the local writer! Now I look forward to the delight of reading him!

By Floozie09 at 14:03 on 19/09/09
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I loved 'Broken.' Daniel Clay's descriptive powers are marvellous and he has a sure ear for patterns of speech. I was interested from paragraph one and got involved with all the characters, appealing or otherwise. I look forward to his second novel.

An excellent website, full of relevant and interesting features!

avidreader24

By avidreader24 at 16:46 on 12/08/09
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A local author incorporating the local area into their fiction always has great appeal for this reader. I look forward to reading Clay's novel.

By Sally_P at 15:44 on 07/08/09
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I'd just like to say that this is a fantastic book and I would urge everyone to read it. Its such an opportunity to get one of the books simply by commenting on the story- and I'm sure others will find it a great read too.

By bonnie17 at 19:46 on 03/08/09
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