A South London teacher and his 9-year-old daughter have joined forces to publish their first novel together — an uplifting creative project born from seaside walks, bedtime stories, and a shared love of books.
Marc Clerkin, English curriculum director at Harris Boys’ Academy East Dulwich, and his daughter Zoe, have co-created The Adventures of Katy Krazzle: Secret of the Sea — the first in an exciting new mystery series for readers aged 9 to 12.
Set in the windswept coastal town of Collersands — a fictional setting directly inspired by the cobbled lanes, ancient inns, and wild beaches of Rye and Camber Sands — the story follows spirited young friends who stumble upon a decades-old seaside mystery, uncovering hidden clues, secret passages, and long-buried treasure.
“We have visited Rye on a number of occasions and stayed with Sarah and Ian in The Old Borough Arms. We love it here and this provided a starting point with the book. The people have been very welcoming,” says Marc. “The history, the cobbles, the salty air — it was the perfect place to spark our imaginations and Zoe loved weaving real details into our fictional world.”
The duo wrote the book over evenings and weekends, combining Zoe’s boundless imagination with Marc’s experience as a teacher and leader of English.
The pair are now planning a special launch event this autumn in Rye to celebrate the release of the book on Sunday, October 19 at 4.30pm in their favourite place – The Old Borough Arms – and wish to see families and budding authors at a Q and A style setting. Marc also hopes to visit local schools to talk about storytelling, resilience and creativity — encouraging young readers to see themselves as writers too.
The Adventures of Katy Krazzle: Secret of the Sea is available on Friday, September 19 in paperback and will be released as an e-book and audiobook in October.
Image Credits: Marc Clerkin .