An excellent read - Hunstanton bookshop describes local author's first novel

After writing 8 non-fictions, David Higgins, who grew up in Great Yarmouth, releases his first fiction described as a seafaring adventure.

When I enter Write Around the Corner in Hunstanton two people are chatting to author David Higgins, as he signs a copy of his new book Fortune and the Forty Thieves, “Who shall I make it out to?” “Mike and Mary please,” the couple reply.

The pair, who live locally say it’s great to find a good read. “We came in here for a general look around,” says Mary, “And look what we’ve found - we’re pleased. It feels good to support a local author.”

David is no stranger to writing having done 8 non fictions so far, but this is his first novel. “It’s an action adventure similar to Sharp Hornblower, that type of thing. It’s about the salvages of the east coast, who used to band together and salvage boats off the coast - smuggling and all the rest of it, it’s during the Napoleonic War and they also get involved with the navy.”

It centres around main character, Luke Fortune, gaining the leadership of his company. And that’s all David’s willing to give away. Apart from that it’s great read.

The author tells me it’s ’brilliant’ to see his novel in the shops, "It’s a story that I’ve created and it’s known to me but I want as many people as possible out there to also enjoy it. I like the whole process, I like the research, I like the writing, I like the publishing which I do myself and then the selling afterwards, the four stages and I enjoy them all.”

He’s been writing for more than 30 years and when I ask what advice he has for aspiring authors he says, “Do what you feel you want to do - make sure it’s you, don’t try to be someone else make sure it’s yourself, and just persevere.

“And understand the process, you’ve got to understand from the start how you’re going to sell your book, who’s going to want to read it and work backwards from there really."

Adrian Eden, who co-owns the book shop, is standing nearby and says it's 'an excellent read'.

“We always have a read of the new authors we have in, a few chapters, but with David’s I couldn’t put it down. Within a week I’d finished it. I certainly would recommend it.” 

David who overhears, smiles, and says, “You can’t get a better endorsement than that!”