A ROAD in Oxford is set to take its place in literary history after becoming the focus of a new novel.
Divinity Road is the first book published by Oxford author Martin Pevsner, a lecturer at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College.
The story follows the lives of four characters, two from Africa and two from East Oxford.
Mr Pevsner, 47, said: “Most of the story is based in Oxford and three of the four characters live in Divinity Road at some point, so there is a lot of local flavour.
“I live in Cowley Road, so I know the area well. But I also chose the name because it also discusses religion and journeys, so has a ‘divine’ aspect.”
The father-of-three said he had based a lot of the novel on his own experiences and had got the idea in a recurring dream.
He said: “It was strange, I kept having this dream where I would wonder what it would be like to be the only survivor in a plane crash, and to wake up alone.
“So I put pen to paper, and that’s what happens to one of the characters in the book.”
The novel went on sale in October and is published by Oxford-based company Signal Books, of Minster Road.
One reviewer on shopping website Amazon said: “Martin Pevsner really is a writer to put on your watch list if this multi-dimensional tour de force is anything to go by.”
Mr Pevsner said: “It’s a dream to have all that work acknowledged, as it was two years of hard work.”
He read the Koran as re-search and prai-sed his “very supportive” wife Elaine for encouraging him to follow his literary dream. He said: “At one stage I took a year’s unpaid leave to concentrate on my writing and I owe all that to Elaine. I’ve written three novels and a collection of short stories before, but they’ve never been published.
“So to see this on the shelves in bookshops is fantastic.”
He added: “Oxford is such a literary city, with all the academics, so it’s thrilling to become a part of that.”
Signal spokesman Samantha Halstead said: “Signal Books normally publishes history and travel, but when I read Martin’s manuscript I realised it was a very powerful novel and one that really brings East Oxford to life.”
Elizabeth Mills, chairman of the Divinity Road Residents’ Association, said: “It is always good fun when a resident wants to raise the profile of our area like this.”
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