A web expert more used to uploading other people’s content has had his own novel published.

Colin Cranfield, Web Content Officer at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (WHT) and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT), has just produced his literary debut, titled ‘Julian, Superman’.

Aimed at adults, the 281-page paperback is set in 1968 and centres around Julian Bailey, a 10-year-old boy growing up in a greater London suburb who may – or may not – have super powers after falling down a chasm while out playing with his friends.

Julian’s exciting escapades are at odds with the fortunes of his parents and the two other families heavily featured in the book, the Turners and the Harrises.

His father Mr Bailey becomes involved with a shady character called Mr Peterson, which offers an intriguing twist to the plot.

Colin, 53, from Sutton Coldfield, started writing the book when he was a student in the summer holidays of 1995.

Revisiting it during the COVID-19 pandemic after mothballing it for many years, he has dedicated much of his spare time over the last two years to complete it.

His passion for writing enabled him to pass a Master’s degree in Twentieth Century Writing at the then University of Central England, now Birmingham City University, after graduating from Staffordshire University with a BA (Hons) degree in American Studies and Literature.

Colin then had his own web design and management company before joining RWT in 2017.

“I got the inspiration when I was standing at traffic lights and almost crossed in front of a car, and that got me thinking about when you’re a child and how you think you’re invincible,” he said.

“I liked ‘Lord of the Flies’ by William Golding, but I didn’t want it to feel like the Famous Five, hence the darker themes and twists to the plot.”

Colin, who works in the digital function of the Communications Team serving RWT and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, has a plot worked out to develop the characters further.

He originally planned to have three books in one, but is now writing them as a trilogy. Now he is well into his second novel, which is set in 1977.

“Setting the first one in 1968 was an arbitrary date but coming at the time of the hippy movement and flower power, it was an exciting time with the music and culture changing,” he said.

“It also needed to be an era far enough in the past so I could create the three parts.

“So the second one is set in 1977, the time of punk, while the third book is from 1986, which was when the Yuppie (young, upwardly mobile professional working in a city) era started.”

Sally Evans, Group Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, said: “It’s fantastic that Colin has written his first novel.

“He is very quiet and humble – you wouldn’t know he has done something so impressive. He isn’t one to shout about his achievements so this is a lovely surprise.”

Limited copies of Colin’s novel are available now in print by emailing him at
colincranfield@hotmail.com, priced £12.99 including postage and packing.

It is also available as an e-book via Amazon (priced £2.49), Kobo (£2.99), Apple Books, Barnes and Noble.

ENDS

• For further information, please call Tim Nash on 07714 741097 or email tim.nash2@nhs.net