The person behind the page
A story
that came back.
Paul Joseph grew up in Liverpool and North Wales. The road to writing has passed through boarding school, service, education, mentorship, and a decision to give an old idea its proper time.
The idea, given time
A story can begin in a single room and still travel a long way.
The beginning of Torn Page
Paul’s early life in Liverpool and time at Glan Alyn Boarding School in Colomendy gave him a deep relationship with stories, place, and the particular atmosphere of North Wales. In May 1984, a friend’s ghost story sparked an idea that gathered details as vivid as any dream: an abandoned stone cottage, a spinning watch, a history lesson, Rhuddlan Castle, levitation, and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.
Alongside his education and a career in police service, the idea stayed quiet. A reunion in July 2014 reopened it. The first draft arrived in 2019; in 2021, Paul rewrote it with the guidance of two expert editors, a friend, and a published author.
Retirement from police service in 2024 made space for a different kind of work. Now, through independent imprint Leete Publishing, Paul is building a writing life around Torn Page.
The route here
May 1984
At Glan Alyn Boarding School in Colomendy, a friend’s ghost story, an abandoned stone cottage, a vivid dream, a spinning watch, Rhuddlan Castle, and a history lesson begin the idea.
July 2014
A reunion brings the story back into view. What had been left behind starts asking to be written.
2019
The first draft of Torn Page takes shape.
2021
A rewrite begins with the support and mentorship of Helen Aitchison.
2024
Retirement from police service opens a new writing chapter.