NOEL Beddoe got his big break writing about a suburb close to his heart.
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The author of On Cringila Hill was principal of Warrawong High School for 12 years.
That spell helps give Beddoe's crime novel a strong sense of authenticity.
The book begins with a teenage boy, killed in a targeted shooting, after which the unfolding events explore the lives of the multicultural families in Cringila.
Drug dealers Piggy and Jimmy witness the murder and navigate the intricacies of a community taut with interracial tensions. Detective Gordon Winter is assigned to the murder and discovers a suburb bound together by loyalty and fear.
Having spent 20 years in the world of literature, Beddoe understands the struggles that writers face with their works, and even more so the notorious struggles between authors and publishers.
On April 10 the Kiama writer will speak about how to get published at a South Coast Writers Centre (SCWC) event at Gleniffer Brae Theatre from 10.30am to 12.30pm.
SCWC spokesperson Paul Chicharo said it was good to see Beddoe immortalise a suburb originally built to house the migrant workers of the Port Kembla Steelworks.
Tickets cost $5 for SCWC members and $10 for individuals.
