We welcomed local author Gary Dolman to this week’s meeting. Gary’s first novel, The Eighth Circle of Hell, deals with issues surrounding ‘defloration mania’ (child sexual abuse in the 19th century), mental illness and self harm. Some aspects of the book were inspired by the author’s own experiences and those of his family and what started out as a manuscript written to help him through a difficult time developed into a full length novel.
Gary talked about the plot and characters and read some extracts to illustrate the points he wanted to highlight. One of the key questions asked throughout the book is when (if ever) is murder justified? He also explained key aspects of the writing process, the way in which he came to find a publisher and the hurdles that a writer has to overcome finally to get into print.
After a break for refreshments, Gary answered many questions from members and outlined his publishing plans for a series based on his first book.
A round of applause from a very appreciative audience concluded the session.
