Wells man with terminal illness writes series of books

Mr Butler's book series follows Gripper the crab and other sea creatures living in rock pools in a fictional Cornish town

A man with terminal bowel cancer has published the first story from his series of children's books.

Peter Butler, who is 80 and from Wells in Somerset, was determined to start publishing the book series The Tales of Gripper the Crab before his death.

The series was inspired by Mr Butler's holidays to Cornwall with his wife and two daughters.

He said: "I've taken great delight and a great amount of pleasure in writing what I've done. It's a great thing."

The idea first came to Mr Butler when his daughters played in the rock pools in Cornwall.

They enjoyed learning about the creatures living in them, and giving them names, he said.

Kathryn Pow, an artist from Wells, illustrated the series

After the holiday, their mother Britt would write letters to them from the sea creatures.

When Mr Butler was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016, he underwent surgery and chemotherapy.

During the recovery process he considered writing children's books.

"It's all come to light since I had my first big operation," he said.

"I was confined to sitting in a chair and I couldn't do a great deal, but I've always had ideas that I would like to create stories around. Once I started it I couldn't stop.

"It's a great feeling to have something to do," he added.

'Mesmerised by it'

Mr Butler said although the books are targeted towards children, they contain important messages and lessons about themes such as sea pollution, global warming and homelessness.

He said it was important to teach children that things are not all they seem to be at times in life.

"I think even from an early age kids understand and take messages," he said.

"They understand it and are mesmerised by it."

Heidi's New Home is the first of six books

Mr Butler has now finished writing all six books in the series.

Much of the work took place in his garden shed which he converted into a fisherman's hut, complete with fishing nets and a lobster pot.

The profits from his first book, Heidi's New Home, will be donated to children's cancer charities.

He hopes people of all ages will identify and connect with the series and he wants to encourage others suffering with cancer.

"It doesn't matter if you've got three weeks, three months or three years to live," he said.

"Cancer is not the end of life - it can be the beginning of something new and you've got to look at it that way.

"My parents always brought me up to be generous and compassionate and to give back to the world and that's what I'm doing."

His book has been published and is available to buy on Amazon.