Poems of Oldbury woman killed in by racing motorist to be published

Rebecca McManus, 21, died after a Mitsubishi Evolution drove into her on Hagley Road West, Bearwood.

The former Stourbridge student, from Oldbury, was a promising poet and now, almost three years after her death, Rebecca's work is to be published posthumously by her parents.

English graduate Rebecca died at the scene, only a few hundred yards from her home, and her friend Harriet Barnsley suffered life-changing injuries following the incident in May 2014 which was the result of two men racing high-performance cars.

The 180-page book, entitled A Book of Fragments and Dreams, published by Unthank Publications, was the brainchild of Rebecca's mother Cathy McManus.

It is being launched in at the University of East Anglia Norwich, where Rebecca studied, at an event which is being held in her memory.

Mrs McManus said: "She had a natural gift for poetry and had individual poems previously published, and seems fitting as it was one of Rebecca's ambitions.

"Rebecca had always hoped to have at least one book published and she had already chosen the title for the book.

“We hope it will provide inspiration for other young poets.”

The book features 159 poems, with subject matters including the changing of the seasons, romance and the wonders of the sky.

Proceeds from the book will be donated to charity.

Sukvinder Mannan and Inderjit Singh were jailed for their roles in the crash.

Garage manager Mannan, of Roundhills Rd, Halesowen, who was at the wheel of the Mitsubishi which struck Rebecca, admitted causing death and injury by dangerous driving and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

He was driving at 101mph in a 40mph zone and had been racing another man, Inderjit Singh, of Cranbourne Avenue, Wolverhampton, who was jailed for a year after admitting dangerous driving in his BMW M3.

The book is available for £9.99 and can be ordered from most bookshops as well as online from Amazon, The Wordery and Book Depository.