Murder of a curly-haired boy - book launch
The tale of a child’s murder casts a dark shadow. But who really killed young Willie Starchfield?
It is 1914, and a tabloid newspaper unveils a haunting portrait of a young boy garbed in a dark blue jersey and frayed grey knickerbockers. The child, five years old Willie Starchfield, lies lifeless with his curly brown locks cascading around his waxen features. The authorities call for witnesses, offering a reward for any information that can lead to the murderer’s capture. The nation, on the brink of World War One, is consumed with the mystery, transfixed by the search for justice. The quest to bring Willie’s killer to account captures their hearts and souls.
Susan’s heritage is Welsh, but she has lived in Southampton for most of her working life. She had a varied career in the police service and was a psychiatric nurse working in drug and alcohol services, dementia services, and adult mental health. She has been a Board member of Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis plus several other Southampton charities. As a mature university student and single parent, she studied law and criminology to PhD level by day, and worked nights as a nurse to fund her studies. She was awarded first prize in the international Proverse Poetry Competition for her poem about dementia.
Susan has authored many reports for various organisations. Recently, as a member of a Latin American academic group, her book chapters have been translated into Spanish. In the last ten years, she has enjoyed obtaining oral histories about wartime life in Southampton from local people who worked in the Spitfire factories. Her focus remains on writing about the history of crime. She is currently revising her play about her cousin who was a member of the French Resistance in World War Two.
Susan is also a student mentor for both universities, and divides her time between France and the UK. Friends describe her as a globetrotting chocoholic.
If you would like to join Susan for her book launch on Saturday 9th March, 1pm - 2.30pm, then please RSVP to s_phillips44@yahoo.com
