“I love setting my novels in the Calder Valley" - Reimagined Romeo and Juliet novel set in Halifax is launched

In Little Stars, by million-copy bestselling author Linda Green, transfers the setting of Shakespeare’s tale of star-crossed lovers from Verona to Halifax, Leeds and Low Moor and features many familiar locations across the region.

Ms Green, who previously lived in Halifax, was inspired to write the novel after a friend and her young son were racially abused on a train home from Leeds.

She said: “The murder of Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox by a far-right extremist during the Brexit campaign affected me deeply.

"And then a friend, who was a French citizen, and her ten-year-old son were subjected to appalling racial abuse on a train home from Leeds.

“I decided I wanted to write about the divisions in our society and what better way to do that than by taking Shakespeare’s famous love story and reimagining it in a post-referendum West Yorkshire.

“The two fictional households of the Mastours and the Cuthberts live in Halifax and Low Moor respectively, and there are scenes set across West Yorkshire, including pivotal ones at Halifax Railway Station and Calderdale Royal Hospital.

"My central characters Rachid and Jodie meet at Leeds City College and their mothers, who tell much of the story, both travel into work in Leeds every day.”

The book explores the racial, cultural and class divides across the region and what happens when love and hate collide.

Green, whose previous ten novels have sold more than 1.5 million copies and been chosen for the Richard and Judy Book Club and the Radio 2 Book Club, said: “I love setting my novels in the Calder Valley and the wider West Yorkshire region and I feel it’s important that readers are able to enjoy books set in their local area.

“The book has been featured on Rima Ahmed’s breakfast show on BBC Radio Leeds and she said she was going to choose it for their book club, so it would be great if other book clubs in West Yorkshire followed suit.”

The paperback was launched at The Retreat in Hebden Bridge last night.

In Little Stars is published in paperback by Quercus Books (£8.99) and is available from Waterstones and independent book shops. The eBook and audiobook are also available.