OXFORD author Heather Rosser’s family has inspired her once again to write a book.

In 2014, mother-of-three Mrs Rosser celebrated the publication of her first book In The Line of Duty.

The romantic novel was inspired by her grandfather Harvey Dyke, who was a pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service.

Now Mrs Rosser, who lives in Botley Road with husband Adrian, is looking forward to the publication of her second book, Growing up in the Mandara Mountains.

This is a memoir about her daughter Melinda’s early life in a remote part of Nigeria.

Mrs Rosser, also a grandmother, said: “My latest book describes my time in Nigeria in the 1970s when, with my baby on my back, I did some research into pregnancy and childbirth customs in what was then a remote part of Nigeria but is now under attack from Boko Haram.

“The book grew from research for my article Pregnancy and Childbirth among the Gude, which was published in 1979.

“Melinda was only five weeks old when we flew from London to Nigeria.

“She often accompanied me to remote villages on visits to traditional chiefs, healers and families of my student interpreters.”

Mrs Rosser used her research notes, diaries, letters, photographs and contemporary literature to write the book.

She was also urged to complete the project by Booker Prize-winning Nigerian author Ben Okri, who she met at Oxford Literary Festival two years ago.

Mrs Rosser will launch her new book at West Oxford Community Centre in Botley Road from 1.45pm to 4pm this Sunday.

Her daughter Melinda is flying over specially from New Zealand with her two daughters for the occasion, and Mrs Rosser will also be displaying some of the many artefacts she collected during her time in Nigeria.

In the Line of Duty was shortlisted in 2015 for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon New Writers’ Award.

Set in North Wales and London in the First World War, the novel draws on family memoir, historical fact and Mrs Rosser’s own imagination.

She has also written and edited social studies books for Africa and the Caribbean.

While living in Southern Africa she was a stringer for the Botswana Guardian newspaper.

Growing up in the Mandara Mountains is published by New Generation Publishing, priced £7.99, available at amazon.co.uk