Kit and the Lilies is a brand new time-travel historical adventure for everyone aged 9+, a perfect gift for anyone who loves a good ghost story.
Written by first-time writer, Clare L Simpson, who finished the story during the first lockdown, this has been a labour of love, five years in the making.
Kit and the Lilies is set in Manchester in 2021 and in 1851 and includes historical facts as well as real ghostly events. The story is about Kit, a 12 year old boy who goes on a nighttime tour of the Royal Exchange Theatre and finds a passageway back in time where he must help a young Victorian girl, accused of stealing a valuable necklace.
The girl, Lily, is based on a ghost known to roam the backstage areas of the theatre, throwing vases of lilies. This book takes her story one step further by describing why she might be stuck as a ghost.
Clare worked at the Royal Exchange Theatre for nine years and used to run backstage tours so her knowledge of the theatre and Manchester history is pretty accurate. “There are a few twists and turns to help the story flow” she tells us. “But anyone going to the Exchange will recognise the Great Hall and theatre module described in the book. If you also book on a theatre tour, you’ll see many of the rooms and corridors described in the book. Theatres need all the help they can get at the moment so if this book encourages just a few people to visit, then it’s done one job!”
Local girl Clare was originally from Mellor, near Marple. She now lives in Cheadle Hulme. She tells us there are more books in her head too, waiting to come out. Kit may find himself in other historical scrapes, possibly during the First and Second World Wars and when the Royal Exchange first became a theatre.
Kit and the Lilies is illustrated by Stuart Galligan, who also used to work at the theatre until the building closed during COVID-19. It is dedicated to Ean Burgon who spent his whole working life at the Exchange and sadly died last year.
The book is on sale at Worker Bee Markets around Stockport and can also be bought direct from the author. Details on the website kit_in_manchester.Wordpress.
