Rutland chef Adam Longden fulfills his novel ambition

A chef at one of Rutland’s most popular venues has revealed a hidden talent.

Unbeknown to colleagues and customers at his workplace, Don Paddy’s in Uppingham, Adam Longden has been writing his first novel. And now it has been published.

Adam, 42, a father-of-three, started writing The Caterpillar Girl four years ago, but was developing the plot over many years before that and had caught the writing bug even earlier, when he was at art college.

He said: “I started to write seriously in 2012 and have had to fit this around my full-time job as a chef and family life. It’s been exhausting.

“You can imagine the surprise of my co-workers and some of the customers at Don Paddy’s when the book can out. Facebook went a bit crazy!

“In addition I have completed three short novels, which feature Rutland landmarks, all of which I intend to publish and I’m working on a second full novel.”

Adam has lived and worked in Rutland since 1999. He was born in Derby, and went to school and college in Nottinghamshire.

The East Midlands countryside in which Adam grew up provides the setting for The Caterpillar Girl, which he describes as a rites of passage story with a dark heart.

Adam said: “It’s is a bit of a mystery thriller with a good dose of psychological suspense, romance and alternative music thrown in, set in 1989.

“For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with music, reading books, writing, and slightly later, film; all of which influence and pervade my work and fictional characters.”

Adam said getting the book published was difficult, because the publishing world is a “closed shop”, but after several rejections he was delighted to secure the backing of Goldcrest Books.

It can be ordered from bookshops by quoting its ISBN number, 978-1-911505-06-8. It is also available in Amazon eBook form and print-on-demand.