Online interview with Belfast author Derek Kielty:
"I entered the Downtown Radio/Eason's short story competition and won my section with Fussy Felicity and Grotty Griselda. You can read it and others on my interactive children's website, www.keilty.btinternet.co. uk. Then I was taken on by Philippa Milnes-Smith of London literary agency LAW Ltd. She used to be a publisher and was head of Penguin Puffin books. She pitched my Back Up The Beanstalk title to Rena Dardis at The Children's Press and that was my first to go into print."
Re 'retired civil servant', I'm afraid not- though if more folks bought the book then I could think about it. Till then it's up for work.
Derek Keilty