A SOUTHAMPTON teacher has had his first book published.

Ron Clooney took nearly two years to write the action thriller Pancardi’s Pride about a robbery in Italy with repercussions in Sweden, Canada, Germany and even Southampton. The city’s Titanic memorial and the airport feature in the 348-page turner.

Ron, 53, of Sholing, is delighted to have finally fulfilled his ambition to see his very own book in print.

“I have always wanted to write a story from a fairly young age,” said the former journalist. I finally had the nerve to do it and made myself write it. “I had to be quite disciplined.”

Ron, who teaches English at Chamberlayne Park School in Southampton, said his own early literary influences came from Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens, DH Lawrence and the Bronte sisters with his favourite book of all time Wuthering Heights.

His book is published by Troubador and is priced at £6.99.

Ron will be signing copies at Waterstone’s in The Brook Centre, Winchester, at 11am on October 25.

He will also be at The Art House Gallery in Bedford Place, Southampton, on November 1 from 1-5pm. He will also be talking about his approach to writing and having his first book published.

Echo picture by Stuart Martin.

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