By Derby Telegraph | Posted: June 27, 2014
Ex-Derby Telegraph journalist Richard Cox has written his first novel.
A FORMER Derby Telegraph journalist says that the inspiration for his debut novel, First Dead Body, came from his experience working with the newspaper from 1970 to 1977.
Richard Cox, who writes using the pen name Tony R. Cox, will release the novel on Saturday at a book signing at Scarthin Books, Cromford.
He hopes that he will be able to reconnect with some of the same journalists he used to work with.
“I had an amazing time with the Telegraph,” said Mr Cox. “I was in contact with some of the best journalists I have ever met. They were truly inspirational, and I hope I took with me what they taught me.”
The journalists were so inspirational to him that he decided to set his novel in Derby in 1971 and write about their investigations.
The 1970s period allowed Cox to focus more on the heart of journalism, writing from a time when the primary source of news was newspapers.
He said: “The technology we were working with was a telephone, a notebook and a pen.
“There was a romance that has probably been lost with modern journalism, but that romance has been replaced with efficiency. I feel a little left behind but I’m perfectly happy about that.”
He describes the concept of his book as “journalists doing the investigation, not the police, and finding that they are in situations they’re not trained for.
“It’s got violence, murder and corruption, and I wanted to focus on the importance of the newspapers and the journalists, instead of the police.”
The launch event for First Dead Body takes place from 2pm to 5pm.
