Last updated 19:42, Thursday, 17 July 2008

A WEST Cumbrian author hopes to start a writing course in the autumn.

Paul Heslop, (left) of Portinscale, near Keswick, is a former police officer and was an adult education tutor at Keswick School.

He would like to organise a class for people who want to write but who have no outlet.

The course, Writing for Publication or Pleasure, would be for people who want their work published or want to express themselves through writing.

Mr Heslop has written six non-fiction books, plus articles for magazines on travel, history and crime.

He is now writing Murderous Women, a non-fiction book.

Mr Heslop plans to hold the course at the Friends’ Meeting House in Keswick on Monday evenings between 7.15pm-9.15pm. There will be no fee, just a payment towards the hire of the room, and homework would be optional.

He said: “Students would be encouraged to write, according to their needs, be given instruction on how to write articles for publication, how to approach publishers for books and articles, how to self-publish their own book and be aware of the pitfalls and how to research in archives and libraries.”

Anyone interested should contact Mr Heslop on 017687 80142 or by e-mail at paulandkate@fsmail.net