AFTER a 30-year career in senior finance roles, an Islander has swapped spreadsheets for the world of epic fantasy with the publication of his debut novel.

Clive Wright’s Blood of the Sons was published in July following three years of writing and editing and is the first instalment in his planned trilogy, The Valnari Saga.

Mr Wright turned his attention to his bucket list – including his long-held ambition to write a book – after retiring when he was diagnosed with a chronic form of arthritis.

“After I retired, I then found out that I was misdiagnosed. I was on all these aggressive meds for no reason at all,” he explained.

“But I thought it was still time to do it, so I went on a course to actually turn my ideas into something real. Then it became this book. That experience was the drive for me.”

The grimdark fantasy novel follows brothers Carl and Alfred as one is “drawn towards the power of the forest, whilst the other is fighting to protect the simple life he never wanted to lose”.

Mr Wright compared the writing process to creating “a piece of artwork”, having rewritten the novel ten times.

He said he had “layered it and chiselled at it, the way in which an artist would with a painting”.

Coming from a career in finance, Mr Wright said one of his biggest challenges was overcoming imposter syndrome as a newcomer to writing.

“The main highlight of the whole process is holding your own book in your hand for the first time. That was really wonderful,” he said.

“Even though I’m a self-published author, I’ve done it to a professional standard. The novel has had an ex-Penguin editor review it from America, and it’s had two professional proofreaders.

“I wanted a quality product, not simply something I am doing on my own.”

Mr Wright said the book had been “a real team effort.”

“I have obviously taken the writing side, but lots of people’s feedback has helped me shape and come up with a story, which people will hopefully enjoy,” he added.

Mr Wright’s family said that watching him transition from a demanding career in finance to becoming a published author had been “incredibly inspiring”.

“His journey is proof that it’s never too late to pursue a lifelong dream or embrace an entirely new challenge,” they added.

Mr Wright encouraged other Islanders to pursue their ambitions, stating: “You’re never too old to do anything. If you have a dream, go for it.

“The main thing is don’t keep doubting yourself, but keep trying and looking around for support.”