Burnham-On-Sea’s oldest author is celebrating the publication of his first book in paperback this month.

Sheila Rainey, 96, who is visually impaired, has enjoyed writing for years and has now published her latest novel, ‘Innocents in London’, after being encouraged by a friend.

We reported here that Sheila’s novel sold enough copies on Amazon’s Kindle service for it to be released as a physical book – which has now happened.

“I’ve always loved writing – it keeps my mind sharp – and this is my first published book,” she told Burnham-On-Sea.com. “It’s very exciting to have my work in book form and available on Amazon.”

The historical fiction novel, which took Sheila about six months to write, is set in the 1800s and is a story of hope and publicity. It follows a five-year-old boy whose mother has died, and he is kidnapped from his father’s country estate and finds himself in Georgian London “employed” as a rock-climbing chimney sweep.

Sheila, who has lived in Burnham for more than five years at Kathleen Chambers House care home, hosted a celebratory party by staff and friends this week to mark the release.

“A dear friend and my editor, Logan, persuaded me to get published after he liked what I had written.”

Judy Davies, a friend of Sheila’s, adds: “This is a wonderful book – a real page-turner of a read, intriguing, very exciting and a most extraordinary story. She is a remarkable lady. »

The 282-page book is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

A music lover, Sheila has worked with major orchestras and conductors including the Philharmonia, English Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Academy, attending them at all concerts in the UK and overseas.

While working for BBC Publications she prepared printed programs for concerts, commissioned and edited program notes. A lifelong literature lover, she has written articles and stories for home and local magazines in her spare time.

A road accident in 1981 resulted in serious leg injuries and several months of incapacity for work. She then got work as a receptionist at naturalist Gilbert White’s Museum in Selborn. During the winter months, she cataloged the Holt White archives, among which was the series of letters from Gilbert White’s niece, Mary, to her brother Thomas Holt White. She prepared a transcript of the letters for an M.Phil. degree obtained in 1990.

Sheila moved to Eastbury, near Lambourn, doing freelance work for a Newbury publisher, Countryside Books, editing, proofreading and indexing. Declining eyesight forced her to give up this job.

It was at Eastbury that she began her series of Shefford detective novels. After moving to Froxfield she continued to write the Shefford novels and it was here that ‘Innocents in London’ was born.

Sheila now lives at Kathleen Chambers House, a care home for the blind and visually impaired. Despite having eyesight problems, she continued during the Covid lockdowns to revise Innocents in London, the Shefford series and write ‘Alec in Blunderland’ – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as seen by a grumpy, complaining old man!

She hopes to celebrate her 97th birthday in August and intends to continue writing as long as her mind and eyesight allow.

Click here to order a copy of the book through Amazon