A Staplehurst man who has been writing since his teens finally decided to take his hobby seriously and sat down to pen his first full-length novel.

The project took six months to write, but three years to execute from concept to publication. However, author Nathaniel Wrey can be pleased with the outcome.

His book Liberty Bound has already garnished a number of five-star reviews and is through to the finals of Wishing Shelf Book Awards in the adult fiction category, with winners to be announced on April 1.

The former Maidstone Grammar School pupil said: "I am thrilled my book has been recognised in this way.

"You hope people will enjoy your work and as this competition is judged by reading groups, it proves it has connected with ordinary book lovers."

Liberty Bound is a dystopian thriller set at the end of civilisation where a solitary community finds itself living behind walls, while the ‘imprisoned’ are made to roam the wild, open spaces beyond.

Strangely, Mr Wrey said his study of how fear and ignorance within societies builds walls, restricting our freedom, was inspired by playing Sunday League football in and around Maidstone.

He said: "A changing room and community centre at one of the pitches had an oppressive barbed-wire perimeter and walkway, more in keeping with a prison.

"It got me thinking about how we respond to fear within a community, reacting with preventative measures to stop crime and anti-social elements, but actually stealing some of our own freedom in the process.

"Taking this idea to the extreme, I created a future world where fear completely defines civilisation, to the extent the people have lost their own liberty without being aware."

Mr Wrey, 49, is a civil servant.

For nearly 25 years, he has served at the Department of Health and at Public Health England, working in the office of Dame Sarah Mullally (currently Bishop of London) when she was the Chief Nursing Officer for England, and later becoming private secretary to Dame Christine Beasley.

Mr Wrey has one other work published that may be of especial interest to Kent readers.

His short novella Triumphant Where it Dares Defy is set in a POW camp in the Second World War and deals with the exploits of survivors from two Royal West Kent Regiment battalions (Maidstone's own regiment) who were left behind to cover the retreat from Dunkirk.

The novella is based on the wartime experiences of his own grandfather who was a POW.

Liberty Bound is available in paperback priced £8.99 from Waterstones, or as an eBook priced £3.79 on Amazon.

Triumphant Where it Dares Defy is only available as an eBook, price 99p from Amazon.

Further details from www.nathanielmwrey.com

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