A STORYTELLER and author from Thorncombe has launched his latest children’s novel.

The Diamond Ship tells the true story of the events leading up to the largest pirate haul ever taken on the seven seas.

Besides working in schools, libraries, museums and festivals, Adrian has also previously released two other children’s novels in the last 12 months; The King of the Things and GobDrop & SnowShine.

He said: “This third title was a different beast to write to the other two. Both were fictional tales I had developed over many years for oral performances in front of live audiences of children. Both are set in imaginary worlds with strange creatures and magic, and both carry an anti-bullying theme with a happy ending. 

“The Diamond Ship on the other hand is an historical tale about pirates. It was something I first came across when storytelling at Dunster Castle some years ago. It was a mere whisper of a relatively unknown pirate captain named John Taylor, who took the largest ever prize in pirate history. This fascinated me and I began researching more deeply. 

“The book follows the historical facts of the adventure very closely. I introduce three characters not known in historical documents – Ssshhh the slave girl, Crossbones the parrot and Cuthbert the friendly pirate – to help children understand issues such as slavery and pirate life within a necessary cradle of sensitivity and a dash of humour.

“It also teaches children lots of pirate words, and pirate facts, as well as hopefully being a gripping swashbuckling read which any pirate fan will hopefully adore.”

The book is aimed at young readers aged eight to 12 years and retails at £6.99. To buy a copy visit mogzilla.co.uk or any good book store.