Christmas Book Fair Event Information page

John Ludlam

John Ludlam was born in 1960, in north London. He was educated in Enfield and Newcastle upon Tyne. The first words he wrote for public consumption were punk rock lyrics. Following spells as a sound engineer, a teacher of English and a stagehand, he became a journalist, working as a sub-editor for the South China Morning Post and a video producer for the Visnews and Reuters news agencies. More than thirty years spent covering international news, including assignments in Iraq, Jerusalem and Hong Kong, taught him that geopolitics will never leave us alone. We Are Made is the first in a series of novels examining what geopolitics does to people. John lives in Teignmouth, on the south Devon coast.

Carol Shimell-Haines

Carol Shimell-Haines has written many short stories; this is her first novel. Carol was born in England but moved to France with her family at the age of thirteen, where she remained for nearly thirty years. Carol worked in Paris for several years, married and has two children. Later, after moving back to England, she worked for various international companies using her language skills. Carol is now remarried and lives on the English Riviera! 

‘Suleiman the Artist’ tells the compelling story of three terrified young people fleeing their homeland, where there is a violent civil war. But one of them, unwittingly, carries a terrible secret.

Bob Fairbrother

'Project Deadhead' - The climate swings between searing heat, heavy rain, and rising sea levels. Sabotaged satellites and the internet have plunged the world into a technological dark age. The UK economy teeters on the edge of collapse, heralding a bleak era of lawlessness. DCI MacGillivray's wife and daughter have been killed in a break in by organised-crime boss Sam Marsh. Marsh has been acquitted, leaving McGillivray to struggle with his grief. MacGillivray is under pressure to close a series of seemingly innocent deaths in the town. But they look increasingly questionable, leading him to uncover a plot that threatens to destroy the town. After failed attempts to stop the threat, MacGillivray must turn to Marsh for help, the killer of his family. But can MacGillivray choose between a greater good or personal revenge?

Nigel Hicks

Non-fiction, highly illustrated (photographically) books about southwest England. The titles are: Wild Southwest, Beautiful Devon, Beautiful Cornwall, Beautiful Dorset, Beautiful Somerset. Nigel may also include one or two of the numerous books he has done on the Philippines. The latest title, which he may bring along, is Exploring the Philippines. www.nigelhicks.com

Wendy Hayden Sadler

Teignmouth resident, Wendy Hayden Sadler is a successful romantic fiction author, playwright and artist. She will be showcasing her new novel, "Guardians of Ravenshaunt", a supernatural romance, alongside her two other novels.

Steve Beed

Stev is a semi-retired teacher and self-published author; he was born in Devon and has lived in Teignmouth for since 1999. To date Steve has published four novels and one novella. Nothing Happened in 1986 and Nothing Else Happened in 2011 are the first two books in a trilogy; they follow the fortunes of a college student who unwittingly becomes part of an international incident while on a drunken night out with friends. The second book picks him up 25 years later. He is, once again, drawn unwittingly and unwillingly into a world of secrecy and danger. Bloglin is the story of a man coping with loss and the cruel hand life has dealt him. His anger manifests in the form of a gargoyle called Poquelin. King of the Car Park is newly published. Tim King is the trolley collector at the local supermarket. When trollies start to go missing he takes it on himself to investigate. With the help of trainee police officer Wendy they uncovers more sinister events. But Wendy has to uncover Tim’s childhood secret before their blossoming relationship can flourish.

Pamela Martin