West Sussex grandmother in print again after 40-year gap

Deborah Baldwin, who lives near Henfield, published three children’s books in the 1970s, which attracted words of encouragement from Cider with Rosie author Laurie Lee.

Following the release of her third book, the mother of four decided to concentrate fully on her young family.

But during the pandemic the 63-year-old decided to pick up the pen once more.

“I was prompted to write The Year the World Had to Stay Inside as I was worried not only for my grandchildren but also for children everywhere.

“I thought it would be a comfort to have a gentle and hopeful account of life in 2020 to which they could all relate.

“The book is about the sudden bewildering situation the world was confronted with in 2020.

“It is an optimistic account of several families and how they adapt to the frightening and confusing new restrictions, finding different, gentler ways to have fun together.

“It shows we can all learn new ways to be happy and hopeful, and around us, good things can start to happen at home and in the natural world.”

The Year the World Had to Stay Inside, she says, is an engaging and diverse look at lockdown through the eyes of several families.

Despite the lengthy lay-off between her children’s books, Deborah admits she has never been too far from the written word.

“After university, I worked briefly for a publisher, before having my first child.

“I continued to write freelance articles for local magazines, before devoting my time to bringing up four children, as a full-time mother.

“I wrote a few stories for my own children over the years but have only recently found the time to write properly again.

“I have always loved writing and was inspired by my very creative mother and first teacher.

For more details, visit Amazon and search for Deborah Baldwin where the paperback and Kindle formats of The Year the World Had to Stay Inside are both available.

It has been released via PublishNation.

For more details on PublishNation, visit their website at www.publishnation.co.uk.