Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

'Vanished' novelist back after 24 years

James Morrison,Arts,Media Correspondent
Sunday 11 May 2003 00:00 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An award-winning author who vanished into obscurity after writing his first novel has "reappeared" 24 years later with a new book his publisher describes as "a masterwork". Peter Rushforth, whose debut novella won the prestigious Hawthornden Prize, is poised for a high-profile comeback with an 800-page historical epic.

A self-effacing Quaker schoolmaster, Mr Rushforth was hailed as one of the "bright young hopes" when he emerged in 1979 with Kindergarten, a sinister re-telling of Hansel and Gretel set in Nazi Germany.

His publisher asked him to write a follow-up, but gave up after several years of badgering. Now, against all expectations, he is back with a mammoth new tome,Pinkerton's Sister, which draws on characters in Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly.

And he is so fired up by his source material that, having failed to write anything for the best part of two decades, he is already "well into" a sequel, and expects to write at least one further volume before his story is complete.

Mr Rushforth, 58, who recently retired from the Friends School at Great Ayton, near Whitby, North Yorkshire, explained that he had been forced to continue teaching after Kindergarten because despite winning critical plaudits, it was not a huge commercial success.

"I arranged a sabbatical from the school, took a term off, did some research and wrote about three chapters of my second novel, but when I got back to work again I found it impossible to find the time to finish it," he said.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in