On World Book Day, we would like to celebrate not only the joy of reading and literature, but the mark former Latymerians have made in the literary world. 

In December, our first article on Latymerian authors was a real hit and can be found here. We now proudly shine a spotlight on another collection, and recognise the creativity and talent of authors to have graced the Latymer gates. There truly is a lovely range of books to read! 

If you have published a book and are not mentioned in either of the articles (or if you know of another Latymerian author), please send information to Beatrice at alumni@latymer.co.uk.  

Tottenham Hotspur's historic Europa League Win in Bilbao last May was a perfect culmination for Andrew Pettifer's memoir When the Final Whistle Blows: Glory, Grief and Tottenham Hotspur, about following Spurs in the 2024/25 season in Australia. The book also paid tribute to a dear friend who died at the end of the season and as a result, Andrew, class of 1983, is donating all proceeds to cancer research. He again put pen to paper last year, publishing Travels with Tracy: Tales from a Midlife Gap Year, a travel memoir about a life-changing two years of global travels that Andrew and his wife embarked on after giving up full-time work. 

Barbara Catchpole, class of 1972, is a prolific children's author and has over 40 books published in several different languages. After attending Latymer alongside her sisters and future husband, she created the children's book series PIG, aimed at helping those with reading difficulties. She was an English teacher for over 30 years, which helped her write books for young people that are set in the real world and presenting characters that could be real teenagers. Barbara has also delved into the world of Shakespeare, releasing multiple modern-day versions of stories, including Hamlet and Macbeth, just to name a few. Each adaptation is written in the present tense with modern day dialogue to allow the reader to feel they are watching the play in front of their eyes. 

Dr Robert Radakovic, class of 1989, is a writer, public speaker and independent researcher. He is a long-term Council Member of the Ghost Club, whose previous members include Charles Dickens and W. B. Yeats. His esoteric research interests inspired him to write a paranormal crime fiction novel, The Fanciful Nonsense of Dr Oliver Yewtree. It explores the life of a troubled middle-aged academic with unusual abilities which he uses to help solve a terrible crime. His next novel, Shuffle Off This Mortal Coil, is due in 2026, followed by a Dr Yewtree sequel in 2027.

Anna Trench, class of 2006, is an illustrator, cartoonist, writer and teacher. In 2025, she had great success, releasing her first book Florrie. Anna, who tells the tale of a young female footballer, and the journey undertaken both in out of the women's game, scooped the 2025 East Anglian Book of the Year for her work. 

In 2019, Susan McCann (née Worcester), class of 1964 published her compelling memoir, Life's Not Bad, Just Different. Following her time at Latymer, Susan recounts her many years spent in Madrid, time travelled across Europe, South America and the US, as well as tragic family circumstances and her impassioned campaign to receive adequate support for her son, now in his forties, who was diagnosed with multiple medical conditions, including high functioning autism and a rare endocrine condition. Her inspirational and moving story is one that has been articulately and honestly put to print, as well as being a call for compassion and a renewed investment in the care and welfare sector in the UK. 

Enid Jarvis (née Burrows), class of 1956, is an expert on the local history of Northamptonshire, publishing seven books in this field, whilst also completing a degree in Shakespearean studies. Her most recent book, Spratton Church of England Primary School 1819-2022, covers over two centuries of education in her local village.

After leaving Latymer, David Grundy, class of 1957, soon qualified as a doctor. After a surgical career, whereby he obtained Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons at Edinburgh and London, he travelled to become a missionary, working at Wusasa Hospital in Northern Nigeria in the 1970s. Upon returning to the UK, he specialised in spinal cord injuries, becoming Consultant at The Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre, Salisbury District Hospital. Later he became Editor and chief author of the British Medical Journal publication ABC of Spinal Cord Injury, which remains an essential textbook on the matter worldwide. 

David Tossell, class of 1979, spent over four decades as a sportswriter. Having worked as a sports journalist for a national newspaper, he then went on to published 19 sports books, receiving seven nominations for British Sports Book of the Year, and three for the Cricket Society and MCC Book of the Year, most recently in 2024, with his book Blood on the Tracks. The book tells the tale of England's brutal Ashes tour of Australia in 1974-75, a series which legacy will long live into the memory. David also had a long tenure as Head of European Public Relations for the NFL, before retiring in 2022. 

Deborah Alma, class of 1982, is a poet, editor and teacher. In 2019, Deborah, alongside her partner, opened the world's first walk-in Poetry Pharmacy based in Shropshire, which aims to offer accessible 'prescriptions' of poetry to boost the mental health and wellbeing of those who may not have necessarily encountered it. Deborah has written much poetry herself, releasing the anthology The Emergency Poet in 2015 for example, which fittingly is written to comfort the reader and reduce stress and anxiety. Her debut collection Dirty Laundry was published in 2018.

Ken Johnson, class of 1969, has published several books including 'All Our Heroes Are Busy at the Moment', a black comedy set in the countryside of post-independence in Scotland. It tells the adventures of two factory workers, who fled the Scottish War of Independence in 2012 and now live in derelict cottages in the East Neuk. 

Sheila Graeme, class of 1962 had work published a few years after leaving Latymer, with her novel A Nest of Stones published in 1967. She wrote another novel in 1970 called Things Have Gone to Pieces, a novel about a primitive artist who becomes famous. 

Tony Carter, class of 1957, is an author, retired project manager and college lecturer, as well as the founder of non-profit organisation "Change Climate Change". He is currently building a free online library containing worldwide news and articles on climate change. Tony also turned his passion of Jazz music into the book A Lifetime of Jazz, which he published in 2024 about the history of the genre. He has lived in Canada since 1985, whilst still having fond memories of his time at Latymer (singing the school song in his home every July on reunion day).

We hope you enjoy exploring the stories and successes of these remarkable Latymerian authors! Happy World Book Day and happy reading everyone!

This article is © The Latymer School and permission must be sought to use any of its content.