Cannock man celebrates publication of debut comedy novel inspired by Adrian Mole author
A Cannock-based author is celebrating the publication of his debut comedy novel which he has been writing since the 90s.
Titled 'Gerard Philey's Euro-Diary: Quest for a Life', the book is written as a diary and follows a year in the life of the title character.
Retired university lecturer Brendan James, 57, tells the story of a disillusioned Midlands teacher who abandons his humdrum Black Country life in search of adventures abroad.
He eventually ends up in Amsterdam running an adult shop in the city's red light area, and getting drawn into an unfamiliar criminal underworld.
The book has been described as a grown-up Adrian Mole meets Van der Valk.
Brendan said: "This is my first book, I started writing it a long time ago but work always got in the way.
"I worked as a university lecturer, but decided to take early retirement last year, which gave me a chance to finish it.
"I started writing it all the way back in the 90s.
"It is written in the form of a diary, I have always been fascinated by both fictional and non-fictional diaries."
Brendan, who has lived in Cannock and the Midlands for most of his life, drew on inspiration from the late great Sue Townsend and his own experiences living in Amsterdam for a time.
The novel is available as both an eBook and paperback on Amazon.
