Adult learner Chris Granger becomes a published novelist, aged 71

Aged 60 Chris Granger decided to formally study GCSE and A Level English at York College.  Whilst learning language and literature, especially finding a love of Shakespeare, Chris was enthused by his tutors to write. Now, aged 71, his first novel entitled ‘Some Lessons in Gaelic’ has been published.  

Chris was born in York and at ten years old his family emigrated to Southern Ireland,  he was the only English boy in an Irish catholic school.  At thirteen he left school to earn a living supporting his family. 

Having had a short-lived education, Chris went on to have a 25 year career in the fire brigade, a couple of years working for the VSO in Kenya  and 15 years as a self-employed builder.  In retirement he decided to return to education to study English at York College.  His writing skills came flooding back when he was asked by his tutor to pen an essay about his childhood, the subject matter manifested itself in the first shoots of his recently published novel.

Chris says: “It was the tutor’s praise for my essay that galvanised me to extend that classroom incident into a full-length fictional novel little knowing at the time that it would take me 10 years to complete. My novel would never have seen the light of day had I not enrolled at York College and received the encouragement and quality of teaching that I did during those GCSE and A level courses.”

Chris always had a flair for reading and writing and he was encouraged to write a book by his mother.  Today he is proud to see his writing in print, under the pseudonym of McCawley Grange, his mothers maiden name.