Corinium Radio have asked me to read a piece during their next broadcast on 30th June. Instead of writing something specifically for them, I will be reading an excerpt from a work in progress, a historical novel entitled Crooked Usage. The story is set in north London during the harsh winter of 1947, and is centered around Johnny Wilmot, a boy who realises that the rambling house his family live in, shelters a secret being sought by many others.
As the novel is centered on books and knowledge, I wrote some sequences supposedly from Johnny’s library book, in the style of Ray Bradbury who sadly died this month, and it’s one of these sections that I plan to read. Ray in the Library introduces Ray Potts who – in escaping from some bullies – escapes through his local library, which is not everything it seems…
Stephen Connolly Writer 