A dad-of-four is hoping to top the book charts after his novel was backed by East 17 member Tony Mortimer.

Next month, Chris Walsh will see The Dig Street Festival hit the shelves.

The 45-year-old's story tells the tale of John Torrington and his down-on-their luck friends as they organise an ‘urban love revolution’ in the fictional East London borough of Leytonstow.

The Strood resident wrote much of the novel in the Bluewater branch of Pret A Manger.

The Dig Street Festival is based on his time living in Walthamstow in the 1990s, with his experiences the inspiration for the comedy.

One of Walthamstow's famous faces, Tony Mortimer from East 17, described the book as an “awesome achievement".

The 1990s' boy band was also made up by Brian Harvey, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell.

The group achieved 18 top-20 singles and four top-10 albums with hits including It's Alright and Stay Another Day.

Chris said: “It’s a dream come true to finally see my novel in print. It took me many years to write, and I found that working within the buzz of Bluewater really helped my creativity to flow.

“I knew that Tony Mortimer had famously got into reading during lockdown so, with the novel set in a fictionalised version of Walthamstow, I got in touch with him on Twitter to ask if he’d like to read an early copy.

"Getting his endorsement was the icing on the cake, and I hope that other readers enjoy it as much as him.”

The Dig Street Festival is set in a pre-smoking-ban East London in 2006.

It follows friends John, Gabby and Glyn as they organise the Dig Street Festival, while uncovering a gentrification plot for the semi-derelict bedsits where they live.

Available in paperback, e-book, audio and large print, it will be published Thursday April 15 by Louise Walters Books.

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