T

HIS week Market Place is remembering the life of one of Northwich's well known writers, Robert Westall.

The Northwich and District Heritage Society has proudly published a book entitled The Extraordinary Life of Robert Westall.

Written by his partner, Lindy McKinnel, the book tells the story of this multi-talented man, who was the art teacher at Sir John Deane's College when it was the boys' grammar school.

Bob Westall began writing at the age of 12, living on Tyneside.

Little could anyone have guessed that this early interest in writing would lead to him becoming a world famous writer and winner of several prestigious literary awards.

He took up the post as art master at Sir John Deane's in 1960 and he began writing in earnest by submitting articles about art exhibitions to newspapers and magazines.

He enjoyed this kind of journalism because he said it helped to sharpen his writing style, but he had his first major success with a book called The Machine Gunners - a chilling and brilliantly written story about children in wartime Tyneside.

This was published in 1975 and dramatized on BBC television shortly after, and so began his secondary career as a popular author.

By the time of his death in 1993 he had written more than 30 books, many of them translated into different languages and published worldwide.

The biography covers all aspects of his life, from his childhood on Tyneside, his time at university and in Northwich, where a family tragedy in 1978 affected him profoundly.

As well as his work as a highly respected school master and his prolific output as a writer, Bob Westall had many other interests, including being the first director of the telephone Samaritans of mid Cheshire.

R

ichard Kelsall, chairman of the Northwich and District Heritage Society, said he is especially proud to be associated with the publication.

He said: "There have been many strange coincidences between my life and his, some of which are recounted in this publication and because of these odd connections with this immensely talented man, I'm especially pleased to be involved with its publication."

Copies of the booklet may be obtained from WH Smith in Northwich or by writing to Mr Peter Craven, 45 Landswood Park, Hartford, Northwich, CW8 1NF.