A LOCAL author is excited to see her debut book on sale after winning a contract with the first publisher she approached.

St Neot author Sandra Fairhall’s collection “Three Pennyworth” is so called because, as a child, she used to buy two pennyworth of chips, so three pennyworth is a bit more!

The book comprises short stories, poetry, scripts and a children’s section including songs and Christmas plays. The subjects are many and varied and will, she hopes, touch people in different ways.

Sandra has been writing on and off since her twenties, but really began in earnest in 2016, following courses in Creative Writing when fellow writers suggested that she publish. The work she had amassed easily lent itself to becoming a book.

Speaking about the process, she says: “Mostly it’s about inspiration. Something happens and triggers words. In another life, I learned shorthand, and could do 140 words a minute at one time! I’m not as fast as that now but I can still write just about as fast as I think.

“It’s a case of wherever I am, dropping what I am doing and letting the inspiration flow.”

Adult education courses in creative writing were a joy, she says, and there the process was more structured.

“The tutor used to give us themes, but often I would begin writing and not know where it was going. The theme would take on a life of its own and sometimes even I would be surprised by the ending.

“I like cliffhangers – I like to leave people thinking about what might happen next.”

Book-signings will take place in St Neot Chapel Schoolroom (Wednesday, April 2, at 7pm) St Neot Village Market on the morning of Saturday, April 5, and at Liskeard Library (Thursday, April 17, at 7pm).

Three Pennyworth is published by Pegasus and available in bookshops and online.