A DOLGELLAU playwright and ex-dentist can also add novelist to his list of credentials, following the publication of his book, The Girl with the White Flag.

Manchester-born Ed Penney, who has lived in Dolgellau for 40 years this year, is thrilled to see his novel in print and is already working on the follow-up.

“The Girl with the White Flag is the first part of a trilogy”, he explained.

“I’m working on the second one now which, hopefully, will be out in November.”

The father-of-two and grandfather-of-four worked full-time as a dentist for 30 years with a practice in Dolgellau for a few of those, and a main one in Barmouth, but as he spent his days looking after people’s teeth, Ed harboured dreams of writing.

“When I was working I did write part-time, but it’s difficult when you’ve got a full-time job and kids,” he said.

“And the thing about writing is that it doesn’t pay very well. It’s great if you get the breaks but otherwise it’s a struggle.

“I had a mortgage to pay so I didn’t pursue my writing properly until after retirement, when I had more time.”

Ed, who is 65 now, retired eight years ago.

Since then he has written pantomimes and comedy sketches for a local amateur dramatics society, as well as a screenplay. He has also been commissioned to write scripts for Russell Grant for several stage musicals, and his play, Butterfly in Shades of Blue, was staged at the Edinburgh Festival in 2014.

But Ed has now turned his hand to novels and The Girl With The White Flag is described as a gritty and realistic, noir, psychological thriller.

Read more about Ed’s new book in this week’s Meirionnydd edition of the Cambrian News, in shops now, or available by clicking the digital editions link above