Chris Nickson - Writer

Chris Nickson was born and raised in Leeds, but moved to the US at the age of 21. He stayed there for 30 years, many of them spent in Seattle, before returning to live in England. The author of more than 30 books, he also writes for magazines, the Internet, and is a broadcaster specialising in world and folk music, and someone who thinks that a day where he writes less than 2000 words is actually a holiday.

First Post
A wonderful time working with classes at Cornholme and Castle Hill schools, talking about the way books are made and the writing process. Coming back into Todmorden on the bus at lunchtime, I remember that my mother told me I had a connection to the town. My grandfather had been Grand Master of the Mason's Lodge there for several years. Why he went to Todmorden when he lived in Leeds, I've no idea (and neither did she), but he regularly took the train to attend Lodge meetings there in the 1920s and 1930s. Of course, that won't make me feel connected to the place the way these kids are, it gave me something.

The classes were great, very bright, eager to participate, full of ideas and often with a very strong idea about writing and making books. Assuming all those raised hands told the truth, a quite a bunch of readers, too, with very varied tastes. There's a lot of history and mythology around here, and it's very gratifying to see them exploring it, and to help them do that in a small way, too.
Local history and legends are important, they bring the past very much alive, and the sense of it being close to home makes it palpable, something we all need. since those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it, they say.