School leaver Ben Anderson is set to shoot to the top of his creative writing class after he secured a book deal.
The 18-year-old Longwood lad has signed up with Ecanus Publishing after they were impressed by his fantasy fiction novel, The Dancing Soul of Fire.
The achievement, which will see him pen a trilogy for the publisher, is all the more impressive as Ben struggles with dyslexia.
“I’ve had a bit of a hard time with it,” he said.
“I couldn’t really spell or read well until I reached secondary school.”
Despite his difficulties Ben was an avid reader of American fantasy fiction author Patrick Rothfuss and was inspired to write his own work.
His first book was snapped up by Ecanus, the second is already underway and he has been given a contract to write a third.
The debut book is out now as an e-book and is due to be published as a paperback in September – the same month Ben hopefully starts a Creative Writing degree at Sheffield Hallam University.
He added: “It’s very exciting, hopefully it will be a bit of a talking point.
“It’s going to be marvellous when I finally get hold of the paperback edition.”
