Guest Blogger: Philip Jones

To introduce myself, I am Philip Jones, a content writer and author from Shrewsbury. My university journey began at University Centre Shrewsbury, where I obtained a First Class BA (Hons) degree in English, as part of the class of 2019.  My intention was, as a mature student, to hone my writing skills to further my writing ambitions.

During my time at UCS, I rekindled an interest in history after completing my work experience at Shropshire Archives, where I later volunteered. It was during this time that my writing changed course and, although still featuring creativity and humour, it would now also reference historical facts – giving me the idea to fuse fact with fiction.

Then with more still to learn about writing creatively, I attended the University of Chester, where I obtained an MRes in Storytelling. This stood me in good stead when I applied for a job as a content writer, which is currently my daytime occupation. I found the classes that I attended by train from Shrewsbury useful as a catalyst for independent research that then went into my creative dissertation. I am pleased to say that both of my creative dissertations have been turned into books and published by Austin Macauley. My debut book, which was written while at UCS, is entitled The Lion Hotel. It is a detective-themed play that combines history and humour, referencing the history of the hotel and its Charles Dickens connections with him having stayed there on no less than two occasions.

My latest book is an historical time-travelling adventure entitled Jack the Ripper? This was my MRes project at UOC. It was released on the 6th January 2023 in paperback and eBook formats. Both books can be found online at places such as Amazon, Waterstones and Barnes & Noble as well as at independent and local book shops. Jack the Ripper? features a detective who returns to 1888 to prove his innocence, after discovering that he had been wrongly accused of being the infamous Victorian serial killer, Jack the Ripper, whose crimes I researched in detail while studying at UOC, in terms of the many theories surrounding the identity of the killer as well as what it was like in Whitechapel, London during this time. For a plot device, and to carry out a different kind of research, I collected various Victorian objects which are described and pictured inside the book.

I have found gaining my degrees, and becoming a published author, a rewarding experience which has paved the way for me to leave my mark in history.