FORMER physiotherapist Chris Lewis has taken his first bold steps into the literary world after becoming a children’s author at the age of 62.
The blind Botswana-born writer, who lives in Bishop’s Stortford, was forced to change career late in life when his other half became seriously ill.
A private practitioner at his Elm Road home since 1986, Chris converted his studio into a bedroom for his partner, where she lived until she died in 2009.
Unable to build a new practice room from scratch, the father-of-two decided instead to draw on his experience studying literature for an Open University degree and brush up some stories he had written years earlier.
On Saturday (February 18), Chris – who now has a deal with publisher Pegasus - will be signing copies of his new book The Tree Fairies at Waterstones in South Street.
He will also be promoting his earlier novel Purity, which had a low-profile release last year but is now being reissued via Pegasus.
Both the volumes are modern takes on classic themes; while Purity tells a more realistic version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, The Tree Fairies mixes fairytale ideas with an environmental message.
And his ambitions don’t end there - for his next venture, an autobiographical tale of his African upbringing, he will be flying back overseas to find out more about the area where he was raised.
Chris said: “I’d been thinking for a long time about doing it, but to just rely on [writing] is a very uncertain business. I started because I came from Botswana and wanted to write about my childhood – and that’s going to be my next book.
“Children’s stories have always attracted me; generally speaking, I think they’re full of humour, a lot of pathos and things like that. I’ve been considering taking more old stories like Jack and the Beanstalk and updating them.
“I think kids are much more switched on these days. They’ve always liked horror – being eaten by a wolf or killed by a giant was always just ‘one of those things’ for them – but now they’re going towards adventure and stories where they can imagine themselves [being part of it].”
Chris will be in Waterstones from 10am until 4pm. His books are available in the branch or at any major retailer.
