A former Jersey journalist is hoping that a passion ignited during a school detention will lead to literary success.
PR director and former ITV Channel Islands news editor Allan Watts is to publish his first novel later this month (November).
The Shakespeare Diaries, written under the pen name Samuel Masters, is published by The Book Guild on 28 November.
The book is a thriller centred on a centuries-old secret that could rewrite what the world believes about William Shakespeare. It follows Jack Mountjoy, a small-town solicitor in Stratford-upon-Avon trying to rebuild
his life after a broken marriage. When a mysterious death and the arrival of a wealthy banker draw him into an international power struggle, Jack discovers that an illegitimate bloodline, a forgotten diary, a codicil and a lock of hair hold the key to the truth about the Bard. The search takes him from Stratford to London and the French Riviera.
Allan, who has acted in and directed Shakespeare productions for many years, predominantly outdoors, said the novel grew out of how little is known about the playwright.
“While I love his plays, his language and his brilliant storytelling, what really drew me to this story is that we know so little about the man himself, which has led to endless conjecture and conspiracy theories,” he explained.
“For someone so famous and so wealthy in his day, it is incredible that only six examples of his signature survive and they are all different, and nobody dares exhume his body or touch his grave because of the curse. For one so well known, he remains an enigma.”
His passion for Shakespeare started with a school punishment: “I was made to take part in the school play as a punishment for eating my lunch in a classroom, which was forbidden at my school.
“That was followed by theatre trips to Stratford-upon-Avon with teachers who really ‘got’ the Bard and brought him to life, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”
The Shakespeare Diaries is the first of several writing projects. Allan is already working on his second novel and has devised a series of illustrated stories for children.
“Seeing my first novel in print is a moment I’ve been working towards for a long time,” said Allan.
“I’m already well into the second book, and I’m excited about the children’s stories, which are something quite different.”
