Wigtoft crime author Joy Ellis supports World Book Day

Reading is the 'gateway to adventure, travel, fun and enlightenment', according to author Joy Ellis.

The Wigtoft-based crime writer has penned more than 30 novels, using the Fens as an inspirational backdrop.

Today is World Book Day, where youngsters across the nation and beyond are encouraged to celebrate the fun of reading.

And Joy hopes many children could fall in love with reading just as she did.

"As a small child, my favourite place was the local library," she said.

"On thinking about this, I realised that I can recall everything about it. Not bad considering I’m now in my 70s. That’s how important it was to me, and the reason for that attraction, was the books.

"Even though young, I knew that books were the gateway to adventure, travel, fun, and enlightenment… okay, maybe not enlightenment at that age, but I still realised that I was learning from them.

"Reading lifted you up, and carried you into other exciting worlds.

"It introduced you to amazing characters, and it allowed your imagination to blossom. That, in turn, led to a love of writing and a fascination for words.

"I cannot imagine a world without books, and the thought of young people never experiencing the power of the written word fills me with sadness… nay, horror.

"Computer games, television and movie streaming, and social media all have a place in modern life, but they can never replace the magic of reading books, and why…? Because you become a part of every book you read, you ‘see’ each character and location in a way that is totally unique to you.

"The knock-on effect, the big bonus, is that reading improves your vocabulary without you even realising it! So… books versus TV? No contest… Go, books!"

Joy, who was encouraged to write by former tutor Sue Townsend - the author of the Adrian Mole collection of bestsellers - has written a series of popular crime novels.

But she says that living in Lincolnshire has also been an inspiration.

She added: "My partner and I moved here in 2000, and it had been my plan for some while to write a book.

"After a very short time, I realised that there was no-where else I’d rather choose for its location.

"Then, on an evening walk with the dogs, along a pad across the fields outside our village, a mist descended.

"You could still see the moon, night clouds, and the outline of the church steeple, but across the flat land there was the ever-encroaching tendrils of swirling mist.

"It was eerie, a little scary, and beautiful, in equal measure.

"Instantly I knew that this was going to be the home for not just one book, but a whole crime series.

"I never realised at the time that there would be three separate series, and over 30 books to write.

"From then on, I soaked up the atmosphere of the river walks, the drains, the endless fields, the deserted airfields, the marshes, and the 360 degrees of sky.

"I wrote about how I felt when looking out over the Wash, or walking the sea bank. I still do. The Fens have become one of the main characters, and it’s a character that I love."