PAC Interview: Paul Newell
So far in this series of interviews with writers from the Portsmouth Authors Collective, I've focussed on novelists. But we also have many non-fiction writers in the Collective, and in this interview I speak with Paul Newell who has published numerous books on Portsmouth History, as well as books on a number of other historical subjects.
Author Bio: Paul was born in Portsmouth and returned after studying in London. He now works as an HR Manager. A keen genealogist, Paul has a passion for local history and in recent years has been researching the history of Portsmouth during Victorian and Edwardian times. Paul’s first publication, Shocking Tales from Victorian Portsmouth, was a huge success, and several books around these topics have followed.
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Loree: Welcome to my blog, Paul. It’s great to have you hear. Let’s jump right in. You write historical non-fiction. How did it all start?
Paul: I was researching some family info after I found out a great grandfather had been killed on the railway line at Botley. I found the newspaper article online and the way it was reported made me think about what other stories could be available. I began researching and it snowballed very quickly from there. I also contacted fellow author John Sadden, the archivist at Portsmouth Grammar, my old school, who put me touch with my publisher.
Loree: How many books have you written now? Is it ten?
Paul: To date I have thirteen books published with another due out soon. But I have completed another eight which need proofreading and I am compiling another eight at the same time.
Loree: Boy! You are definitely a man with a mission. And what a fantastic mission it is. My novel-in progress has drawn a lot from old newspapers and archives. Tell me a bit about the process you go through. Where do you start, and how do you go about compiling it all?
Loree: What have been the main challenges you’ve had?
Paul: Starting too many things at once and not proofreading as I go. I learnt that early on as the articles are usually short so I proofread as I write which saves a lot of time at the end.
Loree: Writers often complain about not having enough time to work on their books. How on earth do you fit it all in?
Paul: Yes, I have a day job, so evenings and weekends are usually when I write. And when I’m listening to the football on the radio!
Loree: Your books seem like a real passion project for you. Would you agree? Do you see yourself as someone with a calling to preserve a memory of the past?
Paul: Yes, definitely. I have always loved history and especially the history of Portsmouth, so to document through the words of those who were there at the time, I think, brings the past alive.
I’m proud that my books are in the libraries and have pride of place in the Grammar school library so my legacy is secure there. Portsmouth Museum have been helpful, but I am finding the Dockyard and other museums difficult to crack.
Loree: And what an important legacy, too! I’m sure future researchers will thank you for the work you’ve done. You’ve created a true archive of Portsmouth history. Are there any particular stories you’ve uncovered that really stand out for you?
Another story from the same book centres around the murder of a little girl who was found in a well near Albert Road. Quite harrowing.
The Victorian Portsmouth series is a history buff’s dream as it charts the social growth of the city and firmly shows how vital Portsmouth was in Victorian times. Every royal dignitary came to Portsmouth on their way to the Isle of Wight to visit the Queen at Osborne House, and the mighty Navy was based here, too.
Loree: I’ve been writing an historical novel for some time now, which is based on documented events and real people. Do you have any particular interest in historical fiction? And how do you feel about writers who fictionalise historical events or fill in the gaps of historical events with fiction?
Paul: Yes, I do, and I’ve attempted to start two novels, myself, one set during WWII and the other in Victorian Portsmouth. My creativity has limits, though, so whilst my writing style is quite easy going, I don’t have the depth in plot, or the commitment to force it through. I admire those who can do so.
Loree: As well as Portsmouth history, you’ve also published books on Victorian Whitechapel, Charles Dickens and ghosts and the unexplained. How do you choose the topics for your books and where to focus your researcher’s eye? Is it purely related to your own interests or are you consciously gauging what will appeal to the public?
Paul: One of my favourite books was the Victorian Whitechapel one. I wanted to report on what else was going on around the time of Jack the Ripper. Again, there was a wealth of information and it became quite a big book.
It is purely my own interests that drive me, but sometimes if I find enough articles I start compiling them as I go. This happened with the Victorian Christmas books. There are four in total (only one has been published so far). I compiled everything I found into one huge book then split it into four. This happened with the Shocking Tales as well. I had enough material for five books, so they have been split out. Volume four of that series is at the printers, now.
I did think that having some general titles might widen the appeal, though. The Charles Dickens book I compiled with a friend who is also a Dickens fan. I’m currently halfway through a second volume.
Loree: You’ve written three volumes of Shocking Tales from Victorian Portsmouth, but only one from the Edwardian period. Was Victorian Portsmouth really so much more shocking, or is it just that it went on for much longer?
Paul: Purely because there was over sixty years’ worth of information available for the Victorian books compared to ten years for the Edwardian. There will be two volumes of Edwardian Portsmouth 1901-1910 when I come to split them out.
Paul: There are way too many to remember. But one that sticks in the mind is the sinking of HMS Eyridice in the 1870s. It was caught in a freak squall on its way into harbour and only two of the crew survived. The general living conditions of those living around Portsea were themselves quite shocking, making it a haven for violence and vice.
Loree: What’s next? Have you finished with Portsmouth history, now, or do you have other projects you’re thinking about? Perhaps a series on Portsmouth in the second Elizabethan era?
Paul: I am currently compiling the following books, in no particular order – Portsmouth 1911-1920; Portsmouth 1921-1930; A Victorian Portrayal of Newgate Prison; A Victorian Portrayal of the Crimean War; A Victorian Portrayal of Charles Dickens Volume II.
I've also written an autobiography called 50 Not Out which is about my life growing up in Portsmouth in the 1970s and 80s. It is purely self-indulgence but that one I have actually had to write!
Loree: Wonderful! You’re writing yourself into your own archive. Very clever!
One final question to wrap up: what advice would you give to someone just starting out? Is there something about the publishing process, perhaps, that you wish you’d been told before you started down that road?
Paul: I was lucky to find a really good publisher (Moyhill Publishing – run by David and Sally Cronin) who have been patient and helpful (and not too expensive). I suppose one piece of advice is to write because you enjoy it, not to make money. Any money made is a bonus. I have been lucky enough to earn a few pennies but that isn’t the point.
Loree: Thank you so much for joining
me, Paul. It’s been fantastic getting to know you a bit better, and learning
more about your books.
Paul’s
books can be purchased at New to You Books in Cosham, at the Bridge Bookshop in Fratton, and on Amazon.
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Loree Westron is the author of Missing Words. She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing, and is the founder of the Portsmouth Authors Collective.
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