The former leader of several North East heritage institutions has published his first novel.
David Ronn, who hails from Morpeth, spent 30 years in various roles, including director for the National Trust in the North East and Yorkshire, founder trustee of the Hexham-based Tyne Rivers Trust, and managing director of The Alnwick Garden and Castle.
Now, he's taken his knowledge and experience in heritage to the realm of fiction, with his novel, Watermark.
Published by the independent Hexham publisher Curlicue, the dual-timeline historical narrative is set in the North Tyne valley and Revolutionary France.
The debut intertwines themes of intrigue, sacrifice, courage, and an improbable love story, all situated among the landscapes and histories that Mr Ronn was part of for more than three decades.
The author explains that a central theme in the book revolves around "an old stone mill by the banks of the North Tyne," still present but serving a different purpose.
Mr Ronn said: "By a quirk of circumstance, it was never put to that use.
"Watermark imagines that it had been and asks what might have happened as a result."
His career, spent interpreting North East history and heritage for the public, has profoundly influenced the book's setting.
Mr Ronn added: "The North East has played a key role in so many defining periods of this island’s history – Roman occupation, the arrival of Christianity, Bede and the great manuscripts created here, Viking invasions, the medieval Scottish wars, the Industrial Revolution.
"All are written into Northumberland’s landscape.
"When you combine that with the county’s extraordinary countryside, natural history and the character of its people, you have a compelling setting at the heart of this story."
During his career, Mr Ronn has worked on significant heritage projects all over the North East, from conserving ancient sites to overseeing large-scale visitor attractions.
He describes Watermark as the new chapter of his life, a tribute to his past professional life in the heritage sector.
Jane Pikett, the publisher at Hexham-based Curlicue, lauded Mr Ronn’s ability to create vivid descriptions of Northumberland’s landscape.
She said: "David has an extraordinary ability to bring Northumberland’s landscapes – its rivers, mills, coastlines, and histories – alive on the page.
"His career spent protecting and interpreting heritage shines through every chapter.
"We’re proud to publish a novel that not only tells a gripping, multi-layered story but also reflects the soul of a county so many people love.
"I believe readers, here and far beyond the North East, will be captivated by it."
Watermark is now available in paperback on Amazon.
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