A new novel – called ‘Smithy Is’ – is hitting the shelves in bookshops across the country, depicting the gritty reality of growing up in south Leeds in the 1960s.
This “insightful and hard hitting” book follows the path of teenage Smithy as he grows into adulthood, experiencing and witnessing the full range of life as he goes. Challenges and battles include struggles with mental health, sexual abuse, bullying, racism, and all the normal travails of adolescence. It is especially written to resonate with the younger readers of today, to perhaps help them navigate their own journeys into adulthood.
Author John Swain lived in Beeston as a teenager and young adult through the 1960s and into the 1970s, and attended Cockburn High School. He is now an established writer, with several published books to his name.
‘Smithy Is’ is available in print or online; all royalties are being donated to Child Helpline International.
