Viking boy's life of adventure

4:02pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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A CHILDHOOD interest in archaeology has resulted in the first instalment of a fictional tale about a Viking warrior from nearby Helsby in Cheshire being published.

The British Viking, by Liverpool-based author J. Rapilliard, is a first-person account of the life of 14-year-old Ap Thor, who dreams of a life of adventure.

Born on a settlement in Helsby, the son of a Viking blacksmith and Welsh farmer's daughter is torn between his heritage and the fact that part of him is Welsh.

He later discovers an instinct for leadership and a flare for military tactics and grasps the chance to fight for peace in turbulent times.

For its author - who works at Liverpool Community College with students who have learning difficulties by day and is working on a sequel - the epic tale is the result of 18 months' hard work. It was accepted immediately by the second publisher he went to.

"I was amazed because I never thought this would happen," Mr Rapilliard told me. "I've always been interested in history and archaeology, especially of the Viking period and I always said that when I retire I would write a book.

"I started looking for a subject and thought it would be better if I based it on what has always interested me. I also wanted to give it a modern twist, which is why I decided to have the hero of mixed race, which is why he is Viking and Welsh.

"At the time in which the book is set, the Welsh people were living all the way up to the Lake District, which is why the action starts in Helsby and moves onto the Lake District and the Scottish border.

"I had worked very hard on it and did about five or six re-writes so I think it was quite a good, finished product. I believe that one of the main complaints from editors is that novels just aren't ready for publication."

Published by Vanguard Press, the book was released on April 21 and is available in W.H. Smiths. There will be a book signing at Borders Bookshop in Cheshire Oaks, Ellesmere Port, on June 14 at 11am. The book is currently in the hands of a Merseyside-based film producer.

Mr Rapilliard continued: "It started when I received a book on archeology as a birthday present when I was a boy and this developed into an interest in pure history. The Vikings did quite interest me because I believe that most of the opinion about the Vikings is falsified because they did attack the Saxons and it is the Saxon point of view you have.

"In the West of the British Isles, the Vikings were more settlers rather than invaders and this is reflected in the book. The book is set in a period of conflict. There were Welsh, Saxons, Irish, Scots and Vikings. So you've got five races, which makes it very close to modern Britain where there is this issue of immigration.

"You don't need to know anything about the subject of Vikings in order to understand the book, but you might want to know more after you read it."

The Globe has one copy of the book to give away in an easy-to-enter contest and for a chance of getting your hands on it, simply answer correctly the following question:- Ap Thor was born at which Cheshire Viking settlement?

It couldn't be easier to enter - simply call 0901 221 0320 and leave your answer to the question, along with your name, address and daytime telephone number, when prompted. Calls cost only 25p - less than the cost of a first class stamp! Calls from mobiles may cost more.

Lines close at 5pm next Wednesday (May 21). Service provided by Newsquest Media Group.

Alternatively, you can enter by post. Send your answer, along with your name, address and daytime contact number, to:- Viking Book Contest, Wirral Globe, Haymarket Court, Hinson Street, Birkenhead CH41 5BX.

Postal entries must be received by 5pm next Wednesday (May 21).

Sender of the first correct entry selected at random will receive one copy of The British Viking book.

Good luck!