An ex-pat author from Bolton-le-Sands has spoken to Beyond Radio about how living in Barcelona for half her life has inspired her first novel.
Julia Slack's historical fiction 'The Road to Sommorostro' is inspired by a Barcelona beach that was home to thousands of gypsies until its demolition in 1966
Julia attended Bolton-le-Sands Primary School and Morecambe High, then St Martin's College in Lancaster.
She went to live in Barcelona, originally for a year, and ended up staying for 26 years!
LISTEN to our interview with Julia Slack
Julia, a freelance teacher, copy editor and proofreader, became interested in Somorrostro beach through French photographer Jacques Leonard.
His marriage to Rosario Amaya, a gypsy from Somorrostro, allowed him unprecedented access to the very closed community.
Today the area is a beautiful beach where the tourists remain blissfully unaware of its dark, forgotten history.
The novel is set in Barcelona in the 1960s, and a shameful past connects three families with a secret that cannot stay buried forever and from Barcelona’s old town to the gypsy slums on Somorrostro beach, the intertwined destiny of two generations is unravelling.
The book has had great reviews, with award-winning author Eva Alton calling it a "wonderful historical novel" and author Nic Winters saying it is "a beautifully written story that shines a light on our human fragilities".
Related Story: Bolton-le-Sands author releases debut novel influenced by mysteries of Barcelona - Beyond Radio
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