A former Isle of Man Newspapers and Border Television reporter has been shortlisted for a fiction writing award.

Joanne Clague has been selected as a finalist for the Page Turner Writing Awards, for her historical fiction manuscript ’Flying Down Blake Street’.

The awards are for published and unpublished fiction and non-fiction writers of all genres to enter their writing to get discovered by judges, who consist of literary agents and publishers.

’Flying Down Blake Street’ is about a war veteran who walks out on his marriage after seventy years, desperate to hide a secret dating back to his service in the Second World War.

Joanne was inspired by her grandparents’ lives in the city of Sheffield to write a saga spanning 80 years.

’Flying Down Blake Street’ was both an opportunity to delve into recent history and a personal project for Joanne, who started with the pages she had been given of a memoir her grandfather had begun to write about his childhood and first job in a filing factory.

Joanne, who lives in Laxey, said: ’The Page Turner Awards is judged by industry experts and a great way of getting your writing noticed.

’I’m absolutely thrilled by this news.

’It’s a real confidence booster.’

Since entering the Page Turner Awards, Joanne is now represented by literary agent Kate Nash, and writing historical fiction.

Founder of Page Turner Awards and award-winning novelist, Paula Wynne said: ’There are writers from all walks of life, from manual labourers to academics.

’All with stories to tell, most of them heart-warming and moving.

’We’re proud that our awards celebrates excellent writing and helps writers and authors to get their stories discovered.’

Success stories from this year’s awards included three writers winning literary representation, five writers winning a publishing contract and thirteen independent authors winning an audiobook production.