A story from North Wales
Paul Joseph, author of Torn Page: Turn
the page.
Meet Paul Joseph — and step towards Torn Page, a YA fantasy of missing children, old histories, and a mystery waiting beneath the landscape.
Afan · 53° N
The first chapter
Some stories wait decades for the right person to find them.
In December, four scouts, believing they are on an expedition, discover that 140 children have disappeared!
Somewhere in the cold, the past has begun to move. An ancient king, a mysterious school, and a torn page are only the first clues.
Discover the storyWritten into the landscape
5 Scouts.
Loggerheads.
Rhuddlan.
The story grows from Welsh history, local geography, folklore, and the feeling that a familiar place might be keeping a secret. Rhuddlan Castle, the Leete, Catwalk, and a red telephone box at Maeshafn become part of its map.
Life doesn’t deal everyone the same hand, and my early chapters were written in hardship. But adversity isn't the end of your story – it’s just the friction that helps you find your strength, turn the page, and build the future you choose.
— Paul Joseph
A long-held story
It began with a ghost story at boarding school in May 1984. It returned through a reunion in 2014, a first draft in 2019, and a rewrite with Helen Weaver and the knowledge of mentor Helen Aitchison in 2021.
Read the origin storyWhat comes next
One book opening.
More pages ahead.
Torn Page is forthcoming, with publication status still to be confirmed. A sequel is currently in progress, and another, quieter idea is waiting in the wings.
See the bookshelf