From Torquay Boys Grammar to published author: dyslexic writer hopes to inspire reluctant readers

A Torbay man who struggled with reading and writing in school is set to publish his debut young adult thriller, hoping to inspire young people who may feel that reading is not for them.

Andrew Wilson grew up in Torbay and his parents still live in Brixham.

He attended White Rock Primary School in Paignton, before later studying at Torquay Boys Grammar School.

Andrew’s debut young adult thriller, Niflheim, will be published by DK on November 5, 2026 and will be available to buy from a range of booksellers, including Waterstones and Amazon.

This achievement marks a significant milestone in Andrew’s journey from a schoolboy who struggled with reading and writing to a published author.

Growing up, Andrew found reading and writing challenging, but was not diagnosed with dyslexia until he was in his early 20s.

However, this did not stop him from pursuing his dreams.

Andrew told the Torbay Weekly: “From a very young age I wanted to write.”

“But my worst subject by far at school was English, so it didn't feel like it would have made sense for me to pursue something like that.”

Instead, Andrew decided to study dentistry at Bristol University and worked there for several years before eventually settling down in Stafford.

However, despite following a different career path, his ambition to write never faded.

He explained: “As I said, I'd always had this desire to write.”

“A few years ago, I thought, you know, why not?”

“Why not give it a go?”

The turning point for Andrew was a single image in his head that sparked his debut novel.

“I had this image come to my mind of this young man stood alone in a storm, facing out to sea.”

“And I kind of just kept thinking about him and he kept popping up in my imagination.”

“And so I wanted to kind of work out who he was and where he was going and that became the opening scene of the book.”

It took Andrew around a year to write Niflheim, however, the journey to publication was not smooth sailing.

He sent his book out to several literary agents but did not receive any responses.

However, Andrew did not give up and decided that he needed to build a writing CV and gain some credentials in hopes of attracting recognition from an agent.

He decided to enter Niflheim into several writing competitions, where it began to gain attention and pick up awards.

This helped him secure an agent and around 2 years ago he signed a contract with DK to publish the book.

Niflheim is set in an Alternate Scandinavia 130 years ago and follows a teenage orphan, Eben, who is sent to stay with his estranged grandfather on a remote island where death cannot be outrun.

Andrew describes it as having “fantastical elements using Norse myths, weaved around mystery and murder, where the victims don’t stay there for long, with lots of action, lots of scares and a fast pace.”

“Hopefully it’s got broad appeal.”

“I would say it would be enjoyed by teenagers and adults who enjoy something like Harry Potter, which is magical and immersive in a rich, new world.”

“But they want something darker, with some more mature themes.”

Andrew added that Niflheim is targeted for readers aged 13 and older who may have also enjoyed novels by Holly Jackson and Karen McManus, however, it is very likely to also appeal to adults who enjoy a magical escapist adventure.

Andrew said there were two main reasons behind his decision to write a book aimed at young adults.

The first was linked to his experience with dyslexia and the challenges he had faced with writing.

He said: “I think that it's probably all tied to my dyslexia.”

“I thought I wouldn't be able to basically write enough words to make an adult book.”

“That was my kind of fear, because always at school, I struggled with getting enough words down, whether it was in an exam or in homework and my work would always be kind of shorter than maybe lots of other people’s.”

“So I think when I started writing, I thought maybe it would be possible for me to do this if I'm aiming at the slightly younger audience.”

But his decision was also driven by a desire to write the kind of book he wishes he had discovered as a teenager.

He said: “I certainly kind of wrote something that I would have loved.”

“As a teenager, I didn't really read at all, because I found reading and writing so hard.”

“You know, a full page of text kind of felt really intimidating.”

After being diagnosed with dyslexia in his early 20s, Andrew’s relationship with reading began to change.

He said: “For whatever reason, I became more interested in reading again.”

“Whereas I probably had about 10 years where I didn’t actually read anything much at all and so with Niflheim I would love to be able to reach that teenager who’s like me, that reluctant reader.”

With this goal in mind, Andrew was very conscious of holding the reader’s interest when writing his novel.

He said: “I’m always trying to put myself in the reader’s mind: How will they experience this chapter?

“Is this exciting, scary, intriguing? Is my wording clear? Is this sentence working hard enough?”

“I want to give each chapter its own arc, as if it’s a story in itself.”

“I try to keep my writing lean, fast, hopefully easy on the eye with short, punchy sentences and paragraphs.”

Andrew hopes his journey will inspire children and young people who may feel that reading is not for them, particularly those who face similar challenges with dyslexia.

His message is particularly timely, with 2026 marking the National Year of Reading, a nationwide campaign designed to tackle the decline in reading, particularly among children and young people.

Research conducted by the National Literacy Trust found that in 2026, only 1 in 5 children and young people aged 8 to 18 read daily in their free time.

Having gone from being a child who rarely picked up a book to someone who has developed a love reading, Andrew is passionate about encouraging others to discover the enjoyment it can bring.

He said: “Reading can be a completely immersive entertainment experience, pretty much like no other type of entertainment, because as the reader, you are participating in it.”

“The author wrote the words, but it's the reader who is building the images within their mind.”

He added: “One of the amazing things about reading is that there are as many versions of a book as there are readers.”

“Every reader will understand and imagine the book in a slightly different way.”

“It’s a really good way to escape somewhere else.”

“What I'm really excited about is to get Niflheim into readers’ hands and hopefully get people reading.”

The release of Niflheim marks just the beginning of Andrew’s journey as a published author.

He reflected on what is coming up in the future and shared: “So the sequel to Niflheim is written, it’s called Amsterdam and it’s coming out with the same publisher next year at some point.”

“So that’s really exciting and I’ve got plans with the publisher to make Niflheim a trilogy, so we’re hoping eventually it’s going to be three books.”

“I’m hoping to keep on writing these fast-paced enjoyable books for young people and adults that can inspire young people to fall in love with reading.”

Andrew’s debut YA thriller Niflheim will be available for purchase on November 5, 2026, from various retailers including Amazon and Waterstones.