1 - Lincs Pride OCT 171.qxp 05/09/2016 13:31 Page 25
Louth-born crime-writer, Tessa Harris, doesn’t recall covering any murders during her time as a trainee reporter on the Louth Standard in the 1980s.
“I had to wait until I moved to London to cover those,” she says, wryly. Nevertheless, the award-winning novelist does look back on her days on the newspaper in Louth with great fondness. “It was brilliant training. I learned so much, from writing about weddings, to interviewing and feature writing. There was the odd burglary, too, of course!”
Educated from the age of 11 at St Joseph’s Convent in Lincoln, Tessa, whose maiden name was Pennell, went on to study History at - appropriately enough - St Hugh’s College, Oxford. “My passion for history was certainly born during my time spent in Lincoln. I adored Steep Hill and the Cathedral, and can vividly remember the Castle and the chapel where prisoners were kept separate from each other to avoid ‘corrupting influences.’” Tessa also says she owes a debt of gratitude to her History teacher at the convent, Mrs Vale, whose lessons inspired her.
After Oxford, Tessa returned to Fotherby, where she lived on her father’s farm. “I’d always wanted to write, but needed to gain experience. One day, I heard my parents talking about Italian prisoners who were billeted nearby during the Second World War, and it fired my imagination. I did some research and the result was an article in a local magazine.” That research also formed the basis of one of Tessa’s first attempts at screenplay writing. “I wrote a film script called ‘Cry of the Curlew,’ set on the coast near Saltfleetby, about a local girl who fell in love with an Italian POW. Of course, it’s never been made, but I hope to turn the idea into a novel one day.” >>