Bognor Regis author signed copies of his debut book on Saturday (December 6)

Gary Peters gave residents and readers a chance to get their hands on a signed copy of his debut novel Glasgow Beens and the Time Traveller, at a meet and greet last weekend.

Taking place at Heygates Bookshop, Mr Peters spent the day meeting readers, greeting customers and talking about his book.

"It started out as an account of my life for my children to read. I was going to keep it hidden until I popped my clogs and then they'd have this account, a detailed account, of my life. And, as it went on, I probably wrote two or three chapters worth of it and suddenly thought 'I could turn this into a book with characters.'"

Even though Mr Peters' children have now grown up, and he's abandoned that account of his life, he doesn't plan to stop writing any time soon, with new more books in the 'Glasgow Beens' already in the works.

With a background in teaching English as a foreign language and palliative care, Mr Peters has an unusual background for a writer, but it's nonetheless something that's always interested him.

"I've always liked stories, stories should be told," he said. "I've always been fascinated by the idea of story telling, and this idea of the elder telling a tale."

The event, hosted by Heygates Bookshop, was also an excellent example of an independent business giving back to local creatives like Mr Peters. For owner Jason Passingham, Saturday's event was a way of shining a spotlight on Bognor's nascent literary scene.

"Literacy as a whole means a lot to me, but it's also about supporting local artists in their efforts," he said. "Because sitting down and actually making the decision to write a book is no mean feat. Loads of people say I'm going to write a book, but how many people actually ever do it? So if someone goes to the effort of writing it, they go through the editing stages and then go through the effort of actually getting it published, I think they need all the support they can possibly get."

To find out more about Heygates Bookshop, which is located in the Bognor Regis Railway Station, click here.