Autistic student writes his first book

A media student from New College Durham has written his first book, and in the process, hopes to raise awareness of autism.

Second year Level 3 media student, Nathan Alexander Kennedy, who also has autism, has drawn on his own experiences and created the main character of his book as an autistic teenager called Foster Graham.

19-year-old Nathan describes his book, The Subtlety of the Obsession, as a gritty coming-of-age story with heavy elements of suspense and suspicion.

Nathan, from Ushaw Moor, took 2 years to write the book, while studying at college. He said:

“With this book I wanted to tell a good narrative but I also wanted to raise awareness of autism. It’s an invisible disorder that no-one really understands. The main character Foster has autism but he’s just a normal guy. There is some black humour in the book and it deals with other mental health issues such as psychosis.

“I studied A-Levels for a year then decided I wanted to do something more practical that would give me the skills and knowledge to pursue a career in the media industry. The media course at New College Durham is very visual and practical and I enjoy discussing new ideas with other students.”

Stuart Drummond, course tutor for Media at New College Durham, said:

“It’s great to see a young person so fully engaged with an ambitious project such as this, outside of their normal studies. Nathan balances his writing well with his media course at New College Durham. He is hugely imaginative, creative and hard-working.”

The Subtlety of the Obsession by Nathan Alexander Kennedy is currently available on Amazon as a Kindle edition.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MPZT9GN

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