Featured Writers – Robert Endeacott

I’m a writer from Leeds. Born in the Leeds General Infirmary (Born In The LGI should be a Springsteen-homage song title, thinking about it) on April 1st 1965, just hours after Leeds United had won through to their first ever FA Cup Final. I’ve never tried to take any credit for that though. Brought up in the south of the City, Beeston, where I still live and work, my first book, One Northern Soul (as J R Endeacott) came out on Route in 2002. I was/am very proud of how well received it was, and the collection of semi autobiographical tales has recently been reprinted too which is a pleasant though not exactly lucrative bonus. My second book, No More Heroes is the sequel of sorts; published by Relish Books, it’s generally a lighter in tone story as I wrote it when times were getting hard and torrid for Leeds and I wanted to cheer myself up and try and add a bit of brightness to the proceedings while the clowns at Elland Road got to grips with ruining everything. And I wanted to entertain the reader of course, shouldn’t forget that aspect of writing books.

I founded Relish Books, a bloody tiny never mind small imprint, hoping to make profits from publishing and selling books, and then reinvesting the coffers in other new writers. I did it because I was so impressed by Ian Daley’s efforts at Route and I wanted to emulate his achievements there. My ‘move’ surprised and probably puzzled a few people but the overriding point is that I was doing it for the right reasons, or as Elvis Costello sort of said, my aim was definitely true. It worked for a while but not for long enough unfortunately, it was a lonely (and costly) business trying to be an indie publisher, even lonelier than being a writer. Relish titles are Humbugs, Fanthology, An Officer & A Gentleman and his Mum and Yorkshire in a Crombie. It was all too much a sacrifice for me, so now I concentrate solely on writing as it’s less troublesome and tons more fun, plus more people appreciate me as a writer than they did as a publisher. Although I do regret the venture really, I see no point looking back on certain matters in my life – I made a poor choice, simple as that, so what Endeacott, get over it! And I have.

My third novel, Dirty Leeds, published by Tonto Books, came out in 2009 and is proving popular; I’m unsmugly pleased to report, while its 2010 sequel, Disrepute – Revie’s England, is doing pretty well too, thanks for asking. Currently (December 2010) I’m working on the third of the trilogy, provisionally titled Scandal FC, which should be out next autumn, and I’m compiling material for a fan biography of my favourite band The Stranglers also. And in addition to ‘normal’ writing, I’m working on a Dirty Leeds stage adaptation, plus not long ago I co-wrote my first full-length screenplay, a biopic about Heath Robinson and his wonderful creation Uncle Lubin. I earned an MA in Screenwriting earlier this century and I’m hoping the qualification will one day prove to be NOT a white elephant. I love films and television, even more than reading books, but don’t quote me on that. The trouble with books is that I don’t have enough time to read all the ones I want to read, especially when I’m having to read ones I don’t particularly enjoy, in the name of research.