East Lothian Courier | News | Author building his own empire

Thursday, 20th November, 2008

Published: Thursday, 21st August, 2008 08:30

Author building his own empire

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A DUNBAR pensioner is celebrating the publication of his fifth novel, Theoderic – which hit book shelves last month.

Ross Laidlaw, 77, whose previous offering, Attila: The Scourge of God, based on Attila the Hun, sold more than 10,000 copies, returns with the second instalment of his epic three-part historic series set in late Roman times.

And last week, Mr Laidlaw penned a contract with publishers Polygon for the final book in the trilogy, Justinian, which is due for release in late 2009.

For decades, the North Road resident combined writing with his former profession as an archivist in Edinburgh and was latterly head of science at Belhaven Hill private school in Dunbar.

Theoderic – based on the fifth century adventures of King Theoderic of the Visigoths – took two years to complete and marks Mr Laidlaw’s fifth published book.

“I did not know much about him at all and had to swot up on the background detail,” said the author.

“It was really hard work. I did not find writing it easy and I just sat at my desk and made myself work until something started happening.”

And all that work nearly came to nothing when the original manuscript was lost in the post en route to the publishers.

Fortunately, Mr Laidlaw had the foresight to photocopy the pages first.

The series of novels are based in fact and detail a tumultuous period in ancient history, immediately prior to the fall of the Roman Empire.

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