Carrick heroine star of children's book

The first in a series of children's books featuring the adventures of a young Carrickfergus detective is set to be launched this summer.
Cover art for Katherine of Carrick.  INCT 20-730-CONCover art for Katherine of Carrick.  INCT 20-730-CON
Cover art for Katherine of Carrick. INCT 20-730-CON

The Way of the Warrior, the debut instalment in the Katherine of Carrick series, is being released by London- based ProjectPublish.

Aimed at children aged over seven years, the adventure tale features Carrickfergus girl Katherine, the world’s youngest history detective who is “determined to put girls back on the map.”

“To outwit a bully, Katherine has to go back in time to find girl pirate,” a synopsis from the publisher reads.

“She sails the high seas on her Viking ship, meeting real pirates of the past in her quest for the truth.”

The book’s author Annie Holmes, who writes under a pseudonym, is herself a former resident of Carrickfergus.

“This book was inspired by my time at 1 Larne Road (Fodeen), Carrickfergus, the house of Ulster architect Samuel Patrick Close and then for many generations the home of the Harkness family,” she said.

“By a stroke of luck and good fortune, my family had the privilege of residing in its Victorian red-brick walls alongside the Belfast Lough.

“While Fodeen was my magical haven, Carrickfergus was a town I will always call home. Its kinsmen have always made me feel welcome and part of a very unique and extraordinary part of the world.

“Katherine of Carrick could have no other port of call. It is home in this book and home in my heart.”

In 2013, the author approached the then Carrickfergus Borough Council with a request to host and fund a launch for the book, which was approved.

During a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Council’s Economic Growth and Development Committee on Monday night, members heard that the book is due for release in the summer of 2016.

“Pre-orders have been made by the Australian public library system, the author is currently in talks with film companies, and an audio book is being produced,” a members’ report read.

Meanwhile, a recommendation to approve the request to fund and facilitate a launch for the book in Carrickfergus, at a cost of £1000 was approved.