Richard Coppin’s book, The Curse Of Beckett’s Wood, has been published

An artist and designer has had a novel published ­— 20 years after it was written.

Richard Coppin’s book, The Curse Of Beckett’s Wood, has been published by Strand Publishing UK.

Richard, who grew up in Balderton and now lives in Grantham, has written the book under the pen-name R. E. Witham. The story is about a cyclist whose arrival in a village near an eerie wood sets in motion consequences that have far-reaching effects.

Richard said there were many different aspects to the book, which he described as a dark, sinister, psychological thriller.

He said it had taken 20 years to get the book in print because of the difficulty in finding a publisher.

“It took four years to write and 16 years to get published because it is incredibly difficult unless you are a known name,” said Richard, who also drew the cover illustration.

Eventually, luck played a part, through a publishing contact of Richard’s son.

After growing up in Bald-erton, attending the John Hunt and Grove schools, Richard spent some time living in Canada before returning to the UK in 1980. He became a freelance illustrator, and went on to run a successful graphic design business and publish a magazine in Grantham.

He said parts of the novel were loosely based on the Newark area and featured places that local people would recognise.

The Curse Of Beckett’s Wood was initially released on Kindle.

It is now available through Amazon.