AS the nominees for the first Dorchester Literary Festival Prize are announced, we profile Purbeck Wintour's debut novel, which has been long-listed for the award. Joanna Davis reports.

A BOOK that proves laughter is the best medicine is in the running for a literary award.

Dorchester-born author, Nicky Clarke-Bradford, who writes under the name Purbeck Wintour, has had her debut novel, The Ordinarily Extraordinary Life of Briony, announced amongst the final seven in the Hall and Woodhouse Dorchester Literary Festival (DLF) Writers Award 2018.

Inspired by the often frustrating, everyday entanglements of modern life, Nicky set out to write something using characters people could identify with and scenarios they could to relate to, with added comic twists – taking inspiration from real-life events in hers and her friends’ lives.

Nicky said: “I used to power walk along Sandbanks beach with a group of friends, and during those few hours each week whilst pounding the prom, we would share stories, vent our frustrations and joke about the absurd, sometimes infuriating, and often downright ridiculous situations which were happening in our own lives.

"Laughter is the best medicine, and some situations you just can’t change, so the best way through is to see the funny side and hopefully you’ll come out with your sanity relatively intact."

The book has received a warm reception from a wide range of ages, Nicky says.

“I’ve been thrilled with the reaction the book has received from such a wide range of readers, and have had messages from people aged 18 to in their 80s, telling me how much it made them laugh and how they related to certain characters.

"It’s fantastic to reach the final seven for the DLF Writers Award as it gives such validation to a writer, especially to new authors such as myself.”

The winner of the Hall and Woodhouse DLF Writers Award will be announced at a ceremony at The Duchess of Cornwall pub, Poundbury, on July 12.

Vying with Nicky for the prize are Philip Browne with The Unfortunate Captain Pierce, Cathie Hartigan with Secret of the Song, Jane Wade Scarlet with Wolf Wind, Liz Shakespeare with The Postman Poet, Kathy Shuker with That Still and Whispering Place and Chip Tolson with Requiem for Private Hughes.

The Ordinarily Extraordinary Life of Briony by Purbeck Wintour, is available in Kindle format and paperback from Amazon, Waterstones, and all good book shops.

  • Who's on the lineup?

This year's Dorchester Literary Festival will be the biggest to date.

Among those appearing at this year's festival, which will be held around the county town from October 17 to 21, are writers Lynne Truss, Lisa Jewell, Joanna Trollope, news anchor Mark Austin, tennis coach Judy Murray and Radio 2's Jeremy Vine.

Tickets go on sale in August.

See dorchesterliteraryfestival.com for more information.