Alan R C Mitchell

Hi, I'm Alan Mitchell, just a year off being 60 years old and in the process of moving from Essex to Lincolnshire. I've been writing fiction and poetry for decades - since I was about 13 or 14 I think. In recent years I've actually done something with my work and set up my own Publishing 'House' (more of a shed, maybe even a lean-to really) and published works by myself, my son, a book of Lyrics I've written with my music partner (Keith Melhuish) under the project name 'UnderTow', and even a book of Recipes from my daughters Primary School, to help raise funds for a quiet area for the kids to go to!

I've published Nine books of poetry (my ninth was published on 1st Feb 2021, and is called '20/20 Hindsight'), a Novella ('Reflections - Memories of a Woman') and a book of Short Stories for the 'Tween reader ('Dances of Friendship'). When I write poetry I publish it under Alan Mitchell, for fiction I publish under Alan R C Mitchell and I guess lyrics should be under Alan R Mitchell, that would give me Alan C Mitchell for something else - my photography perhaps!

The year 2020 saw me watch concerned as COVID-19 swept across the world, creating havoc and tragedy in its wake. My family were affected - my son spent 7 days in hospital and I spent 8 days on a ventilator and was expected to die. Fortunately, I survived and have spoken about my experiences on Anglia TV, London TV, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Essex. In fact, I've been fortunate enough to read a few of my poems on BBC Essex and have been invited back a few times towards the end of 2020.

I continue to write of course, the 117 poems from 2020 have thus far been joined by over 10 in January and I'm hopeful that I'll not run out of things to write about.

In 2021, Keith and I are writing and recording a 'Prog Rock' album, working title 'DiscoveryONE' (not a typo) which is going really well. In all, my creativity hasn't been dulled by the worst year I can remember for a long while for the family and I hope this will carry on into 2021. I'm trying to combine all my creative work, poetry, fiction, lyrics and photography under one 'brand' - that of Alan Mitchell Creative.

I hope you'll join me.